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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26022211">The Silver Linings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ECCougar/pseuds/ECCougar'>ECCougar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, F/M, future setting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:23:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>113,690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26022211</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ECCougar/pseuds/ECCougar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Past mistakes are making the present harder than it should be. Perhaps its left best where it lay, but one of them can't let it go. A new mission may take the past and put it where it belongs so they can focus on their future.<br/>Rated for Language and Lemons. All of the L's</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>151</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Dirty. Thirty.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dirty. Thirty. <br/>Those two damning words on April 1st of this year was the worst thing written on her calendar. She had the day off - but there was a sucker punch to this. Where she had the day off, she definitely didn’t have the funds to do anything memorable. Standing in the dismal gray apartment, she looked around with a scowl, trying to determine how she would cook the goose that was her  birthday. Surely there was something to do. Kagome had tossed her thick hair up into a messy bun upon waking, slipped into some sweatpants and a tank, and saw the day it was on the calendar. Now she felt obligated to do something. Kagome took a couple steps and was in the kitchen where her cell phone was charging overnight. She had a problem playing around on her phone at night, making it that much harder for her to sleep. As though she didn’t already have problems with sleeping. Kagome slipped the phone off of the wireless charger and read the messages from family and friends wishing her a happy birthday.</p><p>Since moving to Kashiwazaki in search of her own adventure, things hadn’t gone as... Smoothly as she hoped. Her friends had all wished her luck. Everyone had been moving on to colleges, or temp jobs. Which was Kagome. Originally, with the promise of there being work with the new hospital that had been commissioned for the outskirts of the town, she had accepted a job working for the current hospital’s administration office. With the influx of people on top of those that already lived in Kashiwazaki, the jobs ran dry quickly, and to make better use of the money, they had paired Kagome down to minimal hours. Instead of working full time, she was now waiting to hear from the temp office she’d signed up for a week ago for something a little more stable. Her apartment was paid up for the year - she had put more and more money towards it, and the owner of the little building was very kind to her. However, she still had other bills to pay, like lights and water, phone services. And part timing was barely helping make ends meet. </p><p>Now, the obligation of her birthday had arrived and she wondered if perhaps she should go about just lying about what she did for the day. Mama would be asking for sure. Kagome tapped her lip as she put down her phone, chewing on her nail. Why should she have to explain herself to anyone? The pressure to fit into a normal society had been trained out of her the second she landed in the Feudal Era. She quickly pinched herself. There would be no more depressing thoughts today. It was bad enough she went into her thirties with nothing more to do than drink orange juice from the carton in a pair of sweatpants and a sweat stained tank top that needed to be washed. Kagome sighed again, and listlessly wandered the apartment for a few more minutes before reaching into a cupboard and pulling out a can of soup she had cleverly purchased to hide her stash in. Taking a quick tally of what she had, she set some money aside and grabbed her keys. Before she stepped outside, she switched her tank top with a cleaner tee shirt and snatched her wallet and phone. </p><p>As she made her way down, she said hello to her elderly neighbor and the building owner, who were talking animatedly outside. Strolling down the sidewalk on this gray April day, she stuffed her hands in the pockets of her sweatpants. Her face felt heavy despite the empty feeling in the pit of her being. Living on the outskirts of the town made for quieter living, but for some reason it put her nerves on edge to be so close to the mountains. It was why she’d chosen to get out of the stuffy city but stay close enough to the seaside she could see it from a rooftop. The walk to her local liquor store was twenty or so minutes, so it was at least a trip outside the house. The old man that ran the shop she preferred to go to had plenty of imported alcohols, most of them being whiskey from the Americas or British Islands. The cheapest bottle would be just fine, and hopefully the burn from a bottle might give her a little mood boost. </p><p>She entered the store, meandered until she found something cheap enough she could afford it, bought her bottle and headed back home with the brown paper bag. As she was headed that way, she took a peek around noticing only a single black sedan parked on the street across from the store. The windows were darkly tinted, but she didn’t notice any shapes, and assumed she was alone on the street. She unscrewed the cap of the Beam bottle she had purchased and took a couple hard swings. Her throat was on fire and she almost sputtered it back up, but she steeled herself to swallow and shook her head, exhaling hard. </p><p>“Dammit!” She hissed as the burn slowly made a warm path to her stomach. Her cheeks flushed and she screwed the cap back on. “Well, at least I won’t be bored today. Happy Birthday to me!” <br/>She hummed merrily, a new pep in her step. </p><p>~*~</p><p>Sesshoumaru rarely found himself anywhere near the mundane townships that edged the maps of Japan. Usually he preferred to be tucked away in the more demon populated mountains, or islands undiscovered that kept to the old ways. But here he was, perusing sites per the Ministry as a consultant for the newest government funded human hospital they wanted to build in Kashiwazaki. The day had  been obnoxiously long, and as it was, Jaken was currently haggling noisily with an old man at a liquor store over the price of the only top shelf bottle of gin he stocked. Not that paying twice the price for Sakurao in this tiny town was anything worth getting upset over. Sesshoumaru just wanted to hurry up and head for the heli-pad before they closed for the night and they would be forced to rent a house again. He didn’t get homesick, but he was more interested in drinking at home. The town was even beginning to wind down, and only a single lone woman walked the street with a bottle purchased from the store. </p><p>To make matters worse, she had started drinking straight from the bottle, and was walking in a stained pair of pants that insisted she was some kind of transient and had bargained away what little money she probably had for a bottle of booze. Sesshoumaru snorted distastefully and looked towards the liquor store. Jaken was still fussing with the old man. He would give the frog one more minute before he went in and paid for the liquor himself. It seemed beneath him to go into a store just to buy a bottle of overpriced gin, but he was ready for the bottle. Humans had become unreasonably stubborn as time went on. He missed the days of blood and carnage. The warring period was a wonderful, shining time of gore and revelry. Even if that time was when he had more discipline than his current days. One could argue his patience had grown exponentially in fifteen hundred or so years, but it hadn’t been an increase in stability so much as a flexibility as time had progressed that allowed for a longer reign.</p><p>His father would certainly agree. Once Touga returned from China and explained his absence (albeit poorly), he had suggested a partnership starting a consulting agency with the developing human government. While the humans were tentative to make any deals with demons, they did want a better way to exist. Clearly the bloodshed was not working for them and the eventual treaties sufficed with both of them. There was still the occasional issue, but part of the corporation the Taisho’s had built was a consultation company with Sesshoumaru also holding the title of Arbitor. <br/>He mediated the problems the demon community had with the humans as they grew and encroached on sacred lands. If anything, the esteem he and his father had built with the humans hadn’t gone unnoticed, and the Eastern, Northern, and Southern demons had smaller corporations built with the same intentions. The two humans who had been assigned ministers as well as their vice ministers met on a fairly frequent basis, if only to ensure the success of both communities living harmoniously with one another. The beginning had been rocky. Much blood had been spilled in the name of peace; but it had eventually been accomplished. </p><p>Sesshoumaru looked at the store front again. Jaken was still shouting at the old man. Moving from the car to confront the small demon, Sesshoumaru couldn’t help the sigh of irritation as he massaged his temple. He would be searching for a home to stay at tonight. There was no way with how long this was taking they would make it on time across Kashiwazaki to the helicopter pad atop the pre-existing hospital. He opened his door and was hit with an unusually familiar scent. He stood from the car, sampling the air, frowning in the direction of the transient woman before walking over to the store front. He pulled the money for the gin out of the gold money clip he kept in his pant pocket and entered the store, frightening Jaken, who bowed deep at his entrance.</p><p>“My Lord Sesshoumaru! My Lord I’m terribly sorry for the delay this silly fool of a shop owner insists we pay so much more handsome a price for a bottle we have gotten for far less at other shops as though he thinks -”<br/>“For your trouble.” Sesshoumaru slipped the amount he’d seen on the bottle as well as a handsome extra before turning the way he came to follow the scent that intrigued him. The old man blinked after him, then turned a smug grin on Jaken who blathered on after him, snatching the bottle from the counter with a scowl at the shop keep. <br/>“My Lord, where are we going?!” He shouted. <br/>“You will watch the car and await for us to come back.” </p><p>Jaken sputtered, but didn’t argue, plodding off to the sedan as he mumbled under his breath.<br/>Sesshoumaru ticked an eyebrow at him, but walked along, following the odd scent that piqued his curiosity. Surely it couldn’t be the transient woman..? The scent oddly enough was not unclean, but it did have its own... Musk. This scent was a familiar pure scent, one that he only caught in shrine maidens. Hilariously enough, it was also mingled with the scent of cheap over handled whiskey. He’d seen it in monks - it had been a while since he’d seen it so poorly hidden in a priestess. Sesshoumaru walked along for five or so minutes and found the scent was beginning to fade as rain moved in. His nose tipped up in the air, scenting once more for the trail and deciding it was not worth his time to pursue. Perhaps he was simply living in the past. If he hadn’t known any better, he would have said it brought back very old memories that had long been buried under paperwork. </p><p>~*~</p><p>A few hours later, after multiple shots of whiskey straight from the bottle, Kagome was dancing around her apartment enjoying the sweet sound of her own radio. The room was warm, and her hair piled atop her head was starting to come loose. She had turned the tv up a little more to drown out any other sounds and was dancing to some of the J-pop when someone knocked loud enough to catch her attention. She stumbled over to the door, nearly tripping over her welcome mat as she shouted through the door.<br/>“Who is it?”<br/>“Its us Kagome! Happy birthday!” a familiar trio of voices trilled. Kagome yelped with happiness and quickly unlocked her door.<br/>“Hey guuuyys!” She slurred merrily. The group of girls giggled and hugged Kagome.<br/>“We wanted to surprise you!” Yuka laughed as Kagome lead her into the apartment. <br/>“I brought Sambuca from my trip to Greece with Tenshi!” Eri called, waving around a clear bottle sloshing with liquid. <br/>“Kagome where are the cups! We’ll pregame and then see about crashing a local hotel’s pool!” Ayumi called, walking to the kitchen and opening cupboards. <br/>“Guys!” Kagome called, pausing the music and muting the television. “Guys. Girls.. I just wanted to say..” <br/>Tears started at the back of Kagome’s eyes before she even knew she was crying. All of the loneliness and the struggle of the last ten years weighed on her. The pain came swarming back like a thousand stinging bees and spilled over her cheeks as two molten rivers. “I’m so glad you came.” She croaked weakly, knees wobbling as she sat hard on her chair. All three cheery faces turned to concern, tutting and cooing over her.<br/>“Don’t cry Kagome! We’re gonna have a great night! We’ll make it a real dirty thirty for you!” Eri soothed. “Lets have fun and celebrate how far you’ve come! We’re all so proud of you!”<br/>Yuka nodded vigorously. “You made it out of that awful time and here you are! You are making it on your own, and we’re all here for  you! Don’t think about the past, try to go on to the future Kagome! It promises to be fantastic!”<br/>Ayumi was quiet, but her hugs made the trembling in Kagome’s arms and legs temper. <br/>“Go get the drinks ready, Yuka and Eri! Make mine a triple!” Ayumi shooed. Once the other two were gone, Ayumi knelt in front of Kagome. Due to  her quiet pensive nature, Ayumi heard more of Kagome’s issues than the other two. She knew a little more than most, but not the whole story. All she remembered was the withered mess she had come to pick up at the shrine at her mother’s behest when it was apparent the well wouldn’t take her back. Ayumi had seen the mutilated shambles Kagome had been left in, barely able to speak for the following year as she sorted through a myriad of emotions that left her nearly insane as she tried to remember everything that had happened to her. <br/>Ayumi stroked her cheek and kissed Kagome on the forehead. </p><p>“Its a pretty hard marker in time, isn’t it? It slaps at honestly the worst times. Don’t worry, Kagome. Its normal. Its okay to need to grieve again.” <br/>Ayumi pinched her cheek, making Kagome laugh through the unexpected tears and slap her hand away.<br/>“Now come on Kagome! Lets celebrate hard enough you won’t remember why you cried in the first place!” She insisted, pulling Kagome up with her toward the kitchen.<br/>“Shots of sambuca! C’mon! Lets get this party started!”</p><p>~*~</p><p>Blessedly, Yuka had connections in the hotel business, so the three drunken girls had a place for their noisy shenanigans. The cab driver dropped them off before a posh hotel with a swimming pool and Yuka checked them in. They made their way to a large suite and dropped off their things before changing and bringing all manner of contraband down to the pool side with plastic cups to serve it in. Kagome practically fell into the pool to the joyful shrieks of the girls, and was quickly followed by the others. They splashed one another and swam until they were tired, and once they were settled in the sauna, they poured another round of drinks, talking about their lives and what had changed since then. </p><p>Yuka, being the one responsible for their current lodgings had answered questions regarding how she got to the managerial position she had accepted upon graduating. Her prowess with numbers and customers had set her apart from the would be competition for the position and her beauty had certainly gained a few favors. She had tenacity for the business and enjoyed it. Eri was a touch more flighty, having given in to a fling with a rich young man who flew her all over the world. She was sharp and witty, with a degree in philosophy and art; honestly, she should have been curating for a museum somewhere with her knowledge, but apparently she made lovely company for the man she was secretively dating. </p><p>Ayumi had decided to make use of her attentiveness and had a well earned degree in psychology, and was using her degree to aid children needing therapy. She could handle adult clients, but her sweet nature put her closer to children than it did the scathe of adults. It was during her years in college Ayumi had assisted pulling Kagome out of the depth of her despair that had determined her path.<br/>“Seriously..” Yuka leaned into Eri. “You gotta gemme some of that sexy rich booty. I mean, I can only get so much from the hotel industry, andits frowned upon to sleep with your customers.”</p><p>Eri snort-laughed hysterically, making a few other heads turn as the light of day waned into dusk. <br/>“I can’t help you on your love-front, you silly billy bean! Love will find its way when its ready to, you know that!”<br/>Ayumi laughed with the slightest swagger. “For all  you know, it is here in this pool tonight!”<br/>“Hear hear to finding love in the pool!” Eri called. Yuka sniggered and swished over to the side where Kagome was pouring for another round. <br/>“Whattabout you, Kags? So you moved, have an apartment of your own. Hospital Administration in the cards for you?”<br/>Kagome scowled. “I dun wanna talk work. Its been  harder than I thought fighting off the people that are already here. Apparently, a buncha people wanted to move from the old hospital that's here already to the new hospital and they -” Kagome made air quotes sarcastically, “’Lost my paperwork in all the hubub.’”<br/>Her three friends booed at the prospect.<br/>“So now I have to go back down to the temp office once they re-receive all the crap I filled out for a new interview session, which is stupid in my opinion.” <br/>She sighed heavily before throwing back her shot of the black licorice tasting beverage and pouring another. “Whatever. We came here to drink and have fun! Can we have some music?”<br/>Yuka nodded enthusiastically, grabbing a portable speaker and connecting her phone after a few curses and tries. All the girls whooped when a heavy bass started to pump and they danced in the spa, drinking enough to forget any troubles they might have had.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Truths</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The pounding in the demon lord’s head was resolute and resounding, and thanks to the latest party of bachelorettes it seemed, would not be going away any time soon. He heard their arrival into the suite beside the presidential he had Jaken reserve seeing as there was an assumed storm headed this way later in the evening that had yet to arrive. Unfortunately it was too late to book anything out of the shabby place. The bottle of gin was already half gone, and there was still no undoing the headache that had stayed. <br/>He had been dealing with the latest round of his father’s lured scandalous lovers, who was attempting to make a mess of the company with her demands upon the money they had accrued over time. Claiming to be raped when the entire farce had been caught on an office security camera, she had quickly run in reverse and threatened to send out the recording, which she had no possible clearance to get without inside help in his company meant it was time to harvest the workers and go through another round of hiring. All of this headache on top of the Ministry’s latest demand to have shrines restored on one of the demon islands of refuges which costed a fortune. He was still kicking ideas around with his group of consultants regarding the restorations to keep the price tag relatively low, but nothing seemed to stick. </p><p>A loud thumping bass interrupted his miseries and he loosed a low growl that had Jaken trembling in the corner. He stood from his seat at the edge of the massive bed he’d been sitting on and strode for the window. Two stories below him was the poolside and it’s spa. His golden eyes narrowed on the four rowdy half-naked and drunken women hoarding the now night lit spa. They were playing an awful version of some song he’d not cared to listen to. New music tended to be to heavy on a base that thumped in deep resonation that bothered his sensitive hearing. <br/>He rubbed his eyes. Had he known how godamned tired this one trip would make him, he would’ve sent someone else. Preferably his idiot father and half brother. The girls below him screamed with joyful mirth again as a splash fight broke out amongst them. Perhaps it would do to take a swim... Women tended to go quiet around him when he chose to bare himself. <br/>“Jaken. My bag.” <br/>Part of the charm of having demons and humans integrated together was there was far lesser need to hide one’s natural state. In the beginning, he remembered the ridiculous amount of energy burned trying to ensure secrecy, and once it got tiresome, he began offering consultation services for far less once the industrial revolution had hit. After a while, most people just assumed the white hair and facial markings of his heritage were just indications of an avant-garde personality. It pleased him to be able to come back to his roots after having been so plain. Long black hair on a male while uncommon, did not do well in bathhouses, regardless of which gender he was in.</p><p>Changing swiftly, he moved now, barefoot across the threshold to the saline pool down below. It wasn’t unusual, the reactions. Where the nature had changed a touch, and it was not necessarily roiling fear he could sense and smell when he walked through a crowded room, he enjoyed the sudden hush that fell over people. There was pride to be had in quieting the masses. His path took him through the small lobby of one of the side entrances where a concrete path led to the pool. The saline was no more bitter than the salt of the sea. It was tamer on his nose and not as disgustingly hard to remove the smell as chlorine treated pools. This particular chain of hotels had been on his radar to possibly acquire, if only to speak with their owner about the chain and their design. It was one of the few that had saline pools in the country. </p><p>Small details. Sesshoumaru held back a smirk, schooling his features to become placid. The light had since turned deep orange, and was slowly passing into magenta and his skin glowed under it. The music had gotten louder upon his entrance to the pool, but soft gasps from the far end assured him it was about to be quieter. The saline from the pool tempered his sense of smell, which was a blessing. Most human gatherings always had that one that refused to cleanse themselves and smelled of ungodliness. <br/>With a quick perusal of the depth of the pool, he dove in head first. Swimming a straight line, he powered his way to the opposite side of the pool, where the spa was built in and cascading its warm water to the pool, keeping it heated and the water constantly circulating. Once he hit the far wall, he flipped under the water and launched off the wall into a backstroke. He continued this back and forth until, in sudden realization, the music had stopped bothering his ears as much.</p><p>He surfaced midway during a lap, pulling his hair away from his ears and inhaled deeply, scenting what he could of the females in bikinis still at the spa. Most of them scented of arousal... But one scent... Sesshoumaru frowned, standing in the water that was now only three feet deep. One scent seemed to be colored with a multitude of curiosities and even a touch of fear. It was deeply seeded fear, one that knew of his history. His nostrils flared even as his back was to the girls. Fear that deep was almost an aphrodisiac. It was no longer something he scented anymore on haughty humans who had known nothing of his cruelties and conquest. </p><p>The beast in him, long dormant and tamed, stirred from its resting place. His growl was one like a purr, deep and rolling. Sesshoumaru turned slowly, predatorily to look at the women whom had stopped doing anything but whispering amongst themselves to stare at him. The three in the front were whispering between one another, he could hear their voices. But the one woman behind them, she was staring at him like she had seen him before. Like she’d seen the blood rolling off his armor, poison curling from his claws and fangs. She was the one afraid. <br/>His head quirked, just barely to one side. There was a hint of something familiar to her scent though. Even her face seemed like one he should remember. She was as bare as the others, in a bright green bikini with some kind of ridiculous yellow pattern, skin fair. She wasn’t shapely, looked almost malnourished, but her long black hair was framing her face, and those brown eyes stared at him with the wide fright of a doe, waiting to be shot. He scented the air once more, and made the slightest move towards the spa. The woman backed away, legs bumping the back of the concrete entrance of the spa, steadying herself with one hand while the other came to rest in front of her figure. </p><p>There it was.<br/>That sparking scent that tickled along the edge of his senses, one that warned before coming too close lest he be purified on the spot. <br/>It was the scent of a frightened, talented priestess. <br/>He inhaled deeply, enjoying the rare scent and wondering if perhaps he should send his vassal to procure her for the evening. The only interesting problem was, she could clearly sense what he was, and perhaps how powerful he was despite the careful damming of his reiki. Many years of practice had given him a powerful advantage - one of surprise when his opponent realized just how outmatched they were. This priestess, she knew something about him and it inspired true, good old fashioned fear. </p><p>Curious, he took another step closer. The three before the fourth giggled, excitement and curiosity in their voices as the huddled together. One of them with dark brown hair happened to glance back and noticed her friends apprehension, going to her now. It was a short, curt conversation, and the fourth hastily moved out of the water towards one of the hotel entrances. Seconds and she was gone, as was her delicious scent. Disappointment tinged him for the first time in a long while, but he decided to let himself wonder. It was rare to experience real emotion these days, even if it was categorized as a negative one. For good measure, he glanced back at the women beginning to gather their things but still staring his way. The last of the light faded, darkness enveloping them as the bright white lights of the pool lit the water. He smirked at the unsuspecting prey before winking uncharacteristically, if only to see what their reaction was. A chorus of coos and laughter did not disappoint. <br/>He turned and made his way out of the pool, lifting himself out with graceful ease, toweling off with the complimentary towels provided by the staff and went back to his room. His original goal was accomplished, and the pool deck was quiet. </p><p>~*~</p><p>Kagome’s heart positively raced from where she had slumped down just inside the walls of the hotel. For a long, unholy minute she had just stood there when the white-haired man strode onto the pool deck, and she had found herself in denial for easily another few minutes. Then he surfaced close enough that upon further inspection, she was indeed horrified to find the man was exactly who she had imagined he was. <br/>Magenta stripes on his cheek, crescent moon on his forehead, and golden eyes that made her heart sink into her stomach, swallowed up by the acid that burned a hole through it onto the concrete of the bottom of the pool. </p><p>Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands seemed as though he was very much alive, and very well. So well, that unlike many of his demon friends, he felt no need to hide who he was, and there were almost no concealment spells on him. The only thing that she could feel bubbling around her like hot lava was the barely restrained youki he kept boiling beneath the surface. She could feel it like a hot razor along her senses. Years had passed with nothing ever actually being threatening enough to give her spiritual powers any reason to spike the way the did in his presence. </p><p>And while he had risen out of the water like Adonis, indeed god-like in stature, the second he turned his tall, lean, muscular frame towards her, Yuka, Eri and Ayumi she knew he had sensed something as well. His golden eyes had slanted towards them, studying them carefully, and when she saw his nostrils flare out, she very nearly threw up. The only thing that kept her from bolting from the sight of him was that she had held a deeper relationship with them than just having served alongside him to end the half-demon Naraku, and perhaps that was enough to be spared from his wrath. Then again, this wasn’t the feudal era, and the probability of him simply killing her where she stood was unlikely.</p><p>Kagome rested her chin on her knees and hugged them to her chest, willing her heart rate to go down. It wasn’t just his nature she found herself concerned with. No, it wasn’t that. It was what had happened with the little girl he claimed as his ward not long after they had made peace once Naraku had been killed. Once he’d processed the information she had given him, she was sure he was going to kill her. Inuyasha had sent her back through the well, telling her to wait for a few days before returning so his rage could burn off in any other form than murdering her outright. Kagome had agreed, if only because she could sense an aura of bloodlust on its way to her. They made it to the well just in time to see his form land hard into the earth, forming a crater that he marched out of, whip in hand. </p><p>It was the last time she had been to the feudal era, and ten years after realizing she couldn’t go back, but they would live long enough to see the future sent her spiraling into anxiety that she wasn’t sure how to cope with. <br/>Ayumi had worked with her for days on depression, and anxiety wasn’t a stranger to her in any way. But seeing Sesshoumaru, the demon who’d lusted for her blood just before she left the entirety of her past behind with them had sent her into another set of memories that were completely unpleasant. It was like being dragged kicking and screaming into an emotional breakdown she’d just clawed her way out of and thrown into an oubliette of suffering all over again. Breathing slowly, Kagome tried to remember the coping habits she’d learned with Ayumi. The silver lining had to be somewhere in this awful mess, and if she could just calm down, she’d be able to find it. Uncurling from the corner she’d retreated to, she headed for their room on the top floor. Her darling friends had decided to do a druken movie night, and while seeing Sesshoumaru had vastly undercut the happy buzz she had going, she wasn’t going to let it ruin her night. If anything, she was going to drink more, and forget he was here.</p><p>She rinsed and changed into a pair of short gray pajama pants and a blank tank top, pulling her hair into a messy bun that couldn’t contain the length of her hair. She blew a strand or so out of her face before she grabbed one of the bottles of whiskey her friends gifted her from the middle of the entryway table. Taking a solid swig, she could feel the warmth in her belly grow as her friends burst through the entryway.<br/>“Oh my god, Kagome did you see the way that hottie mchothot looked at you?!” Eri exclaimed, clearly as drunk as Kagome was. “He literally eye-fucked you in the pool. Seriously.”<br/>Ayumi slapped her friend. <br/>“There was no denying he had a thing for you. Shit, he watched you leave like he was gonna eat your ass for the rest of the year!” Yuka crowed, laughing as well. Ayumi flushed, but she couldn’t hold back a giggle. Kagome’s heart began to race again, and she took another hard swig of Jim Beam before shaking her finger at the girls.<br/>“No boys!” She half shouted. “This is my girls night out of outs. We’re gonna celebrate it without dickbrains!” <br/>All of the girls cackled, rushing her in a big loving, alcohol dripping hug. <br/>“We love you Gome, but you’re such a tight ass. Wha movie ya’ wanna watch?” Yuka slurred. <br/>Kagome thought for a minute before grinning.<br/>“Less watch Magic Mike. I could go for a Channing Tatum grinding above my face.” She laughed. Eri, Yuka and Ayumi all shouted protests at her sudden hypocrisy but eventually agreed if only to watch the undulation of Channing’s six pack. Kagome kept the bottle of Jim clutched in one hand as they settled in, Yuka ordering room service for a bunch of cake, chilled mochi, and burgers.</p><p>The movie started and the lot of them whooped and hollered at the screen the second the start made his debut, making  Kagome laugh and forget her worries. Delighted with the sudden and hilarious case of what she liked calling Dick on the Brain for the girls, they made the lewdest comments and had already decided on watching a bunch of movies for its nudity. The second Magic Mike was pulled up on the gaming station Ayumi had brought to lessen the price of movies rented and the girls were throwing rock, paper, scissors for who had to go out and get ice before room service arrived. Kagome lost, but it was mostly because none of them could really remember who threw what, and with the room beginning to wobble the way it was she was delighted to get some fresh air and stretch her legs in the hallway. Snatching the ice bucket she was now pleasantly reliving some of the silver linings she had finally remembered.</p><p>In her inebriation she started to wonder maybe, somehow if Sesshoumaru had survived, perhaps Inuyasha had survived. Though if he hadn’t grown up, chances were Sesshoumaru would be a better match for the adulting boredom that was Kagome. She snort-laughed.<br/>“Fuck, wasn’t he so boring. I mean, yeah, it was kinda sexy that weird aloof shit he did...” She found herself mumbling. “But beyond that and that pretty silvery white hair what else did he have? A super hot six pack? Not that you’d know, he always covered himself with that stupid armor. And y’know? While it isn’t like me to pry into someone else’s personal biz, espeshuly their sexy life, why  have all that sex appeal if you aren’t gonna use it? Seems a waste to me.”<br/>She in her musings had come to a stop at the ice machine, and the lull of liquor had made her need to squint to see the directions. She managed to get most of the ice in the bucket before turning and ramming into a tall handsome figure, sending ice skittering in dull thumps across the carpeted floor. Swearing she knelt to pick it up and realized immediately how dumb that was, she glared at the offending wall of man, blinking. </p><p>Her breath caught in her throat when she realized there was an awful lot of silvery white hair framing the man-wall in front of her. Kagome also realized that she was too drunk to panic, but also too drunk to be any semblance of reasonable, especially when the wall suddenly grabbed her, shoved her against a real wall, and had their knee grinding into that special spot, forcing her chin up and covering her mouth with his. Kagome had a handful of kisses barely exceeding the number on both her fingers she remembered fondly in her life. Most of them, while arguably passionate, had been gentle and sweet with romantic realization. This was only one of those things. The man currently assaulting her in the hall in the most delicious way had one hand on her hip, gyrating their motion over his knee to hit her intimate spots while his mouth consumed her whiskey sodden lips like they were the tastiest treat in the world and he couldn’t get enough. </p><p>The hand on her chin now worked under her tank from the arm hole, large thumb long enough to brush her hardened nipple and pulling a soft moan of desire from her. <br/>“Oooohh, Inuyasha...” She breathed against the man’s lips, head rolling back to the wall she’d been pinned against. The motions stopped and the knee betwixt her legs disappeared. The loss made her whimper and search in confusion. “What the fuck...?”<br/>“How do you know his name?” A deep, very familiar baritone rumbled like thunder. Kagome blinked harder, trying to force her eyes to focus. <br/>“TELL US.” It commanded. Her blurred vision came into focus slowly and instead of Inuyasha’s brash face, she was starring at Sesshoumaru’s angry mug. <br/>“Oh fuck.” <br/>The panic was starting to well up in her again, and it called her divine powers to aid her. The snapping of holy power around her made the demon lord start and take another step back from her. <br/>“Priestess..” He growled, body shifting from defensive to offensive, claws now extended subtly by his side. “You will answer our question before we end your life as you know it.”<br/>“Don’t you fuckin’ touch me, Sesshoumaru.” Her eyes darkened even as fear bubbled acidly in her belly. “You don’t touch me.”<br/>A myriad of readable things passed through the demon lord’s eyes before a light went off behind them. <br/>“You.”<br/>Kagome scrambled up the side of the wall, focusing her power into her fingertips. <br/>“You’re that priestess he cavorted with five hundred years ago...” Confusion crossed as his brows knitted together. “Five  hundred years... How..?”</p><p>~*~</p><p>Sesshoumaru had been confident the obnoxious gaggle of giggling women had been silenced for the night, only to have them move their party to the room beside his. Jaken had since taken his leave, having decided knowingly that Sesshoumaru would most definitely take out  his irritation out on his vassal. He wasn’t wrong. The realization that he’d be waiting in a room having to listen to Magic Mike play for a bunch of horny women blasted at unholy levels... Did not settle him in a good mood. So pissed was the demon lord that after the first finished and he realized the second was playing, he made for the elevator. He had the good fortune, however, to open the door after the beautiful priestess had drunkenly stumbled by, mumbling something about pretty silver hair and a hot six pack.</p><p>While he did have reservations about stalking a woman unaware, it was clear she had been mumbling about himself. His mirth and arousal had taken a turn for the unavoidable when she offhandedly, albeit very, very drunkenly, commented that it seemed a shame to waste so much sex appeal. Given the complete shittiness of his day compounding into one massive headache and much needed stress relief, to have one so beautifully presented to him.. It wasn’t until she rammed into him with the ice bucket she’d been carrying he had taken it upon himself to pin her glassy eyed body to the nearest wall, using his knee to stimulate her nethers. The heat of her reaction alone told him she was as needy as he, and her enthusiastic return of his kiss nearly coaxed a groan of want from him. Then, she pulled away she sighed against him and uttered a name.</p><p>“Ooooohh, Inuyasha..”</p><p>Sesshoumaru froze and all but dropped her. She knew his half-brother’s name. This nobody in the middle of nowhere knew his brother’s name. This priestess in the middle of nowhere knew his brother, a protected, high ranking member of demon kind official’s name. <br/>He had demanded she tell him how she knew the name, but it was the look that gathered in her eyes of familiarity and fear that told him not only did she know Inuyasha’s name, but she knew him somehow. </p><p>“Don’t you fuckin’ touch me, Sesshoumaru! You don’t touch me!” The woman was shaking, even as her outstretched hand radiated purity in warning. He scowled at her but the strong mixture of her scent awash in the purity of her power made something click in the back of his mind. <br/>“You. You’re that priestess that cavorted with him five hundred years ago!” He balked for a moment, and his confusion had to be readable at this point. His eyes narrowed. “Five hundred years... How..?”</p><p>By now, the priestess had  gotten her bearings and was sliding away from him against the wall. <br/>“You are the Kagome girl. You are alive...” His head tilted and he followed, even as she moved away with the threat of purifying him. “You left us. You left Rin.” <br/>She whimpered at the sound of Rin’s name. It had been so long, he’d forgotten in the midst of everything else what had happened. That he had spent at least fifty of those five hundred years mending the little one’s broken heart and another twenty five pushing her on as a surrogate father even as the mother she’d chosen had left her in favor of adventure with the half-breed. <br/>“We have things to speak of, you and this one..”<br/>“You came to kill me after I said wait.” She was trembling, still moving away from him. “No was clearly something you couldn’t handle and that’s what we here in the future call a red flag, your snottiness.” <br/>Sesshoumaru didn’t deny he was a passionate demon at the time. And she called it as she saw it; no was not an answer he was accustomed to hearing, even in these days.<br/>“We still deserve a better answer than what you left us with.” He responded, his body slowly sliding into its usual cool, placid façade. “The little one never really moved on after you abandoned her to us again. She needed you.”<br/>Kagome opened her mouth to respond, and instead of finding words, he saw her retch on the carpet, vomiting mostly liquid. She coughed and sputtered before him pathetically. </p><p>”... worst fucking birthday...” He heard her groan. Sesshoumaru’s eyes slid closed as he sighed deeply, deciding to do the worst thing possible. Moving to the other side of her sick, he knelt down, willing the scent of it away as he offered a hand. To his surprise, after she looked back up at him, she took it and allowed him to gently guide her back to her feet. They slowly made their way to his suite. Upon entering, he steadied her while he went and grabbed a rag, wetting it, and cleaning her face up. She sat on the edge of his bed, he, on one of the comfortable recliners in the large room. His study of her made him frown. The once sun-kissed priestess whom had enjoyed trysts with him under the moonlight, full of life and thick with optimism was not in this spindly woman. No doubt, she was still attractive, but upon closer examination, her entire body had leaned out to the point of question. Her face wasn’t gaunt just yet, but it was clear she wasn’t eating properly. </p><p>The Kagome he’d been insistent on acquiring for his pack mate, his female alpha, and Rin’s mother was not in this woman. She looked tired and drawn. Thousands of years had not tempered his passion, but hundreds of years had schooled his expressions. What little he had given in surprise this evening would be milled away as he looked on her with cool perusal. If anything, her response to his sexual advances gave greater insight to her hesitations before she had disappeared down  the rabbit hole they called the Bone Eater’s Well. There had been confusion the day Inuyasha had physically thrown her down the well to stand between them and take a beating he’d meant to give her. He knew that some of the humans in the village would throw old demon remains and that the place reeked of magics beyond his  understanding. He also knew the place had her scent all over the grounds, and she had gone there often. </p><p>What he did not understand was how she’d disappeared, and why she didn’t come back. Even Inuyasha after the first month had questioned why she wasn’t coming back. They had stood by the well, even going so far as to jump in themselves with high hopes at possibly retrieving her. All to no avail. That she was sitting across from him brought back both fond and painful memories for him. He was glad Rin only lived a human life; to see her mother look as pitiful as she currently did could have broken the girl’s spirit just as much. </p><p>Kagome finally looked up at him. Her power had died down, but he could tell just by the tension in her frame she was still on the defensive. He leaned forward, his hair coming down around him in a curtain. He could see the tears welling in the back of her eyes, her grip on the bed whitening her knuckles. <br/>“How did you live five hundred years and not come to find us?” He asked. His tone was damningly gentle. Yes, she’d caused him and his ward great pain at the time. Yes, he blamed her and at the time then, had every intention of dispatching her. But time had tempered those things, and none of it matter this far after. The only thing that may have stung was her presence here, and that she had not even tried to find him along the way. </p><p>“A time slip. In the well. Caused by the jewel.” She croaked, hot tears slipping down her cheeks. “The well let me go to and from your time. When the battle was over and it still worked, we were surprised. But at some point it stopped working. And when it did..” she paused, her doe brown eyes flicking up to meet his briefly before looking away. “The damage was done. I did look. For a year at least, I tried looking. When I came up empty, it took me about three years to get a good grip on my sanity, to convince myself that the four fucking years I spent up until I turned twenty were just a colorful way to deal with some kind of trauma.” <br/>He was quiet, listening to her with no interruptions.</p><p>“I spent about two years hiding behind a bottle, half a year in a bottle coupled with intense therapy, then just straight up therapy for another two or so. You kinda lose count. Once I had help, I went back and did my high school studies again, graduated about three years ago from the adult diploma program, and I’ve been trying to regain my bearings ever since.”<br/>Now she glared at him, sobering. “Leave it to you to walk back into my life on the worst day I’ve had in at least five years.”<br/>“We are not the ones who jumped down a well and through a time-slip to get away from answering hard questions.”<br/>She bristled.<br/>“Fuck you. You were coming to kill me.”<br/>He didn’t deny it. But that didn’t mean he’d confirm it either. That spark in her eye, the flash of anger in her tone. That was the woman he remembered. The one who made him forget what a disaster her race was, could be. Even now, he appreciated her fire. <br/>“All over a little two letter word.” She was shaking again, but her eyes, the sweet little doe in them was gone. The anger he felt rolling off her was palpable. “You didn’t even give me a chance to explain myself before you threw the first punch.”<br/>“We remember it to be the back of our hand, not a closed fist.”<br/>“Does it fucking matter?” She cried out, rising from the bed with her hands fisted. “You hit me! What was I supposed to do, roll over and take it like a good little bitch?!”<br/>Sesshoumaru’s mouth pursed, his clawed hands running through his hair. Technically, yes. For her station at the time, she was. But in these days, that wasn’t the case for any woman, and even in demonic circles mating customs had changed. Some of the tradition had remained, but expecting an obedient bitch only came with those that were raised in that tradition. It was rare to find it anymore. By Sesshoumaru’s standard after the priestess, obedient bitches just didn’t do for him anymore. <br/>“I can’t believe I’m having this fucking fight ten years later. With myself, apparently.” She hissed. She spun to leave and was stopped by a firm grasp on her wrist. He had grabbed her, still hadn’t looked up, but took a deep inhale. </p><p>“We have nothing to fight with you over, Kagome. What’s done is done. While we can be sore, we have not the energy to be emotional over this. Anger, pride. It has gotten us everything and nothing.” His thumb swiped over her wrist, his memories slowly returning of what they had. “The only thing that irritates us is his name on your lips when it was ours that brought you pleasure. Unless we’re remembering wrongly, and there is something else you need to tell us.”<br/>She was staring at his hand like it was burning her. </p><p>“How do you expect me to remember you as anything but a monster coming to get me?” She rasped softly, more tears gathering. “Inuyasha literally threw me into the well and told me to run and wait out your anger. How was I supposed to know I’d never get to come back?! To fight with you? As far as I remember, he saved me from a monster that hated me.”</p><p>Sesshoumaru pushed back the wave of guilt that tried coming for him. He had already made peace with that portion of his past, and was still every bit the bastard he had been back then. Tactics had changed, but he had remained as much of himself, only a far more patient and better version. And this version, even now, desired for her to show him the tenderness he’d grown  accustomed to at his courting of her back in the feudal era. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome, as our goal is to become a better writer. Thank you for reading!</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Best Kind of Hate</h2></a>
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    <p>His hand was hot around her wrist, and she suddenly remembered what sucked about having spiritual power as strong as her’s were. Somehow, the liquor evaporated, purified, and left her system completely when she called upon it. She was very much sober now, and the past was literally grabbing her by the hand to keep her from leaving. Kagome had known her answer to his mating request was going to be a one-sided argument even back then, but she remembered how hard he’d hit her. Coming back from the past and dancing around the deep purple bruise that had stayed on her face for weeks had been challenging enough. And upon realizing the well had closed her off and that Inuyasha wasn’t coming for her, she had broken down completely. </p><p>The knowledge that she had wanted to explain to Sesshoumaru she wasn’t ready for marriage. That Inuyasha had offered her adventure on the main land, and there were people in need of help. That she wanted them to go together to seek it out, before she married a man she had only just fallen for a few months prior. Kagome knew exactly what his reaction would be, she had just hoped he would prove her wrong. </p><p>“Anything that was unresolved, anything you have to say. You made it clear the second you laid a hand in violence on me, Sesshoumaru. And going back for another round feels like foolishness I don’t want to have anything to do with.” She whispered brokenly. “I finally feel like myself again, after ten years. It not fair...”<br/>She cried out when he yanked her hand, pulling her into him as he stood, cradling the back of her head in one hand and releasing her wrist to wrap around her waist. He was warm, smelled like the old ancient woods they ran together. She wanted to relish this, to melt into how good he smelled, how fantastic he felt. Kagome screamed into his chest, cursing as she struck him with both her fists. Not once did he let up, his arms around her tightening. Her nails dug into his chest and she screamed at him, telling him he was a worthless bastard, a coward who hit women, every foul name she could think of until her throat was raw and he still wouldn’t let her go.</p><p>“Why, why would you do this to me? This is all your fault.” She cried, striking his shoulder again. “Its not like you’ll ever -”<br/>“You’re right. We won’t.” <br/>His breath was warm on the side of her face, and his arms loosened as one hand came up to wipe a tear from under her eyes.<br/>“But we can make it up.”</p><p>Her hand was loose and her rage was all but gone. She slapped him as hard as she could with one hand, making a fist with her other. Before she could land a punch on that aristocratic jaw he covered her mouth with his. So many memories came flooding back with his taste, the insistent rock of his mouth against hers. Her mind shouted at her to bite him, kick, scratch, anything. But the second she felt his hands lift her by the backs of her thighs, her legs instinctually wrapped around him and her arms were around his neck, fingers tugging at his hair. She felt his clawed hands move up her buttocks, under the back of her tank top as he grazed the skin with those claws. The sounds he elicited with the smallest touches made her blush with shame, but a bigger portion of her needed to run through the wilds with him hot on her heels again. To tame that ferocious angry beast he was when he was nestled between her thighs. His hands pulled at the hem of her top, up and over her arms before pulling her hair down from that mess it had been in to curtain around both of them, black and white.</p><p>“We have missed you.” he rasped against her lips. “We have not known how much it was we needed you.” <br/>“Shut up.” Her eyes flashed angrily as she pulled away from his mouth. “I don’t need sweet nothings.”<br/>His golden eyes seemed to blink at her in shock, slowly bleeding into anger. She bit his lower lip and hit her forehead to his, eyes narrowed on his angry gold.<br/>“This is for me. This is my closure. My gift to me on my dirty thirty. You’re going to fuck me and then I’m going to forget you exist.” Her voice shook even as she tried to sound like she was in control. To regain her sense of self, her lust, her hips gyrated against him in a motion she remembered he loved. A low growl reverberated between them, and suddenly she was on the bed, bouncing with the force. Buttons popped as he tore his shirt off of his body, and she clambered back as his belt whipped through the loops of his dark pants. Before she could protest, he was on her, belt tightening around her wrists. One hand held her wrists above her head as the other grabbed her left leg and wrapped it around his hip.</p><p>“Try all you will, priestess. We will make it so you will never forget this night and come keening back for more of us.” He husked, flashing his fangs in her face. She opened her mouth for a snarky protest only to have him silence her with his again, a hard stroke of his tongue swallowing any protest as his hips surged forward. She could feel him, hardened and ready and she gave him a keening growl as she wrapped her other leg around him. He loosed himself free of his pants, and she smirked. Of course, the demon wouldn’t wear anything under his pants. She was only amused for a moment before he wrested a surprised cry from her with his first thrust into her cunt after pushing her shorts to the side and finding nothing else to stop him.</p><p>It stung for a long moment, and she struggled to breath with his weight atop her... But when he pulled back, her body protested and fluttered around him. That familiar ache of need poured through her like molten steel, and she trembled. <br/>“Yes..” She breathed, arching back and pressing her breasts to meet his chest. The sensation of her nipples brushing the hard flesh of his pectorals made her gasp, flashing in and out of the warm light of the hotel versus the damp green of the forest where he’d first come for her in her memories. <br/>“Gods you feel so good Sesshoumaru...!” She gasped, hands grabbing for purchase at the sheets beneath her as his cock thrust deep within her. “Don’t stop until you make me cum!”</p><p>The daiyoukai above her practically roared. His frustration with her was building; his aura felt firey with his anger. Then he straightened and took pause from his frenzied strokes with a deep breath, towering over her. His face was placid and the angry red aura began to calm, the beast she’d stoked was being chained and put away. A spike of fear coursed through her when she realized he’d learned how to control the beast himself, without her as a conduit for all of his rage. When he opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling before slowly bringing that boiling amber over her, she realized she was in trouble, and that he could make good on his promise. His cock throbbed in her, and she swallowed. This was a different Sesshoumaru than she remembered.</p><p>~*~</p><p>There were those doe-ish eyes again. Caught in the headlights, not sure where to go as he chained the beast she had goaded with all of her anger. Truly, he had almost given into her demand for a hate fuck, thinking that this would be the way. But when the roiling of the beast in him demanding her blood as penance for that unruly mouth of hers pushed him to a violent clarity. He could absolutely hate fuck her. It was what she expected of him, the beast he’d been when they lay in the forest those times, taming the monster inside of him. But coming down out of the emotionally charged version frightened her more. His placid face didn’t betray the true desire he had for her. Only the throbbing of his member as she clenched around him. He rolled his hips into hers in smooth steady motions, ways he’d never pleasured her before in their shared memories. His claws pulled her hips up, cradling her ass as he rocked her in time with what he was doing and the sudden vice grip she had him in, the octave of her moans and the crumpling of her sweet face indicated it was better than anything he’d done before. </p><p>Sesshoumaru threw his head back, letting himself groan loud as she keened under him. His fingers were drawing patterns on her waist where they had drifted in the roiling motion of his body, her legs had loosed him and found purchase on the mattress as she lifted her own hips to meet him. He could feel them shaking around him as he never ceased his motions, showing the nearness of her impending orgasm. Her belted arms had come to her stomach, her back arching impossibly high as her mouth opened in a silent scream as he ushered her first orgasm. Sesshoumaru’s mouth fell open as he held back desperately, calling upon hundreds of years of self control and barely restraining himself from toppling into bliss with her.</p><p>His hips slowed for a moment as he collected himself, letting the feeling of her fluttering cunt and the feminine juices that her orgasm brought wash over him. Swallowing, he kept his slowed pace as she shook and screamed under him, hands guiding her body to prolong what she was feeling when she could not. Once her legs gave out and the full weight of her body fell into his hands he unbound her wrists and pulled her body up his as he backed slowly off the bed. Demonic strength and balance accounted for much of what he was doing, but the sheer pleasure of her cunt on him made it hard to focus on his original promise when all he wanted to do was drown her intimates with his seed. <br/>His breath was measured as he cradled her body with him still inside of her, waiting for her to come back from her whimpering. She was quietly mewling his name, her hands were finding purchase on his shoulders when he moved to the full length window of his suite and pressed her back to the cool glass. She jerked and her eyes fluttered open, and when he began moving inside of her anew, guiding her over his cock again as he gritted his fangs, watching her reaction with hooded eyes, her features crumbled in need. One hand brushed his markings, the other buried in his hair, brushing past the sensitive shell of his ear as she pleaded with him all of her need. </p><p>He was unhurried this time, and it was the most intense sex he’d had in a couple hundred years. It wasn’t to say he’d not found pleasure in others. But this, the deep need, the tenderness of her body opening to him, the gentleness of her aura brushing over his. It was a piece that had been pushed deep down when she’d gone from his life for hundreds of years, and now to have her wrapped around him, pleading with him to make her feel all of that pleasure again and hold her in his arms.</p><p>Sesshoumaru had forgotten what it was to languish in another person. His hand came to the back of her dark, bed mussed tresses, guiding her to him in the gentlest of kisses as he let her weight fall against the glass while he thrust into her slow and sure. The thrum of something building into a ball of desperate release rolled over both of them, and they could both feel it. Her head was thrown back onto the glass before she looked at him, her eyes filled with so many emotions it made him dizzy. Both of her hands were on his face, drawing him closer as she whispered to him.</p><p>“I loved you. I needed you.”<br/>He thrust hard, jerking both of them closer and catching her breath with his passion.<br/>“We needed you too.” Came his quiet admission. “We needed you..” <br/>And with that he began that rolling rhythm anew, stealing the rest of her breath and turning it to moans and mewls.<br/>“Ohhhh my god Sesshoumaru please... Don’t stop!” She gasped with every new thrust. Her voice was a siren’s song. “Love me... Please, don’t stop!”<br/>It was enough. The beast roared through him, out of him in the sound of a feral shout as he surged forward in an angry series of thrusts that threw her screaming his name into another orgasm that he followed with fervor. Spent and shaking, the demon lord fell to his knees, still seated deep within her pussy as she fluttered and shook. She held him close, her nails digging into his skin and her legs tight over his waist. Once his bearings returned, he rose slowly, gently removing his half hard cock from her warmth and moving them back to the rumpled bed where he carefully kneeled, laying her down after some coaxing and turning her so he could lay behind her. </p><p>She was coming down from her high, and he could smell the sting of tears again as he pulled her small, fragile body flush with his. He curled with her, stroking her back and side as she cried.<br/>“Fuck, I hate you.” She spat, shuddering. He kissed her shoulder with as much tenderness as he could muster.<br/>“We know.”</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Empy Beds</h2></a>
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    <p>Kagome knew Sesshoumaru well enough to know when he was asleep. He rarely did it, but he found it enjoyable after sex. If she remembered anything about how they functioned before, she knew she could get out before he noticed she was gone. She slid carefully out of bed, finding her discarded tank top and looking over her shoulder at the sleeping demon lord. His hair as scattered around him, the soft falls of his breath raising his chest and his arms akimbo from where she’d removed herself. He was beautiful. Kagome shuddered, reminding herself the rage in him that one day. Over something that could have been explained. The temptation laying in the bed, the new improved demon he said he was. She couldn’t take that risk. The only good part in this was the possibility that Inuyasha was still alive, and was worth looking for in her free time. </p><p>She moved quietly and quickly over the threshold, getting out the door and down the hall to her room, knocking quietly to be let back in. All of her friends were coming up on finished with the second movie, asking her where she had gone and what was up with her hair. Blessedly, all of them were too drunk to notice anything else off and while they whooped for the next movie, she excused herself to the bathroom. <br/>Starting the shower, she took a moment to relieve herself, and once she was in the shower she scrubbed every inch of her skin. She made a mental note to set an early alarm so she would get back home and start looking for a job in earnest. She’d fight whoever she needed to, as long as she could come back to a sense of normalcy. All the bolstering in the world couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her face, even scrubbing her eyes angrily and curling in the hot water. <br/>Once she was done in the shower, she faced herself in the mirror of the hotel, jabbing her index finger. <br/>“This was just a nightmare fueled by drinking.” She told herself angrily. “Tomorrow is going to be the best day of your life. You go out there, love your friends for who they are, and celebrate their love for you.”</p><p>The pep talk worked wonders. Surely, with this amount of positive energy she would be able to surmount any obstacle. Taking a cleansing breath, she joined the girls in the room, and ate a cold cheeseburger, downed some soju, and faked happiness for the rest of the night. <br/>Morning came quickly, and while her friends slept off their extra drinks, Kagome left a note for her darling friends thanking them for their special gifts and that she had received a call from the temp office about the job she was supposed to be filling for. <br/>Kagome donned her hoodie, warily watching around her for the white haired demon lord as she left the hotel and headed back to her apartment on the nearest bus. When she arrived home, she called the agency and requested to come in to update some things on her resume for them to use. </p><p>~*~</p><p>Sesshoumaru woke mid-day to an empty bed and a crowing Jaken, waking him to let him know that the flight scheduled would be available in the next hour back to the office as he had requested yesterday. The demon lord rose from the bed stark naked, making his vassal blush and turn his eyes down. <br/>“We will shower and be ready in ten minutes. Have our clothes laid out by the time we are out of the shower, Jaken.”</p><p>The kappa nodded wordlessly and Sesshoumaru entered the bathroom and started a hot stream of water in the shower. He stood under the pounding hot water for a few minutes before rinsing himself of her scent and exiting the shower. Sesshoumaru knew the priestess was a smart woman; to be honest, he hadn’t counted on her being able to slip out of the room without his notice. Now she was in the wind with no way to track her, and his curiosity still unsatisfied. There was no way she was done with him either. Whether she knew it or not, there was more unfinished business between them, and he was not ready to let go of the little piece of past he still held in his fonder memories. Shutting the water off, he toweled his hair off and then the rest of his body, mind on last nights coupling. It was only the loud jangle of the cellular phone on the table that brought him out of his dark musings. It was his father.</p><p>“What?”<br/>“Someone woke up on the wrong side of a woman. What has your testicles tied, son?” His father’s jovial tone was obnoxious, even this late in the day. <br/>“Even if we had the kind of relationship where those were the things we shared, we would not. What do you want?” Sesshoumaru ground. His father sighed on the phone.<br/>“The Vice Minister of Agriculture is still in a tizzy about what we have for the shrines on that island. Have you thought of anything we can give him yet?”<br/>Sesshoumaru was quiet for a long moment.</p><p>“Look into the daily costs of shrine maidens around Japan. Perhaps we can cut the cost by enticing shrine maidens with a monthly stipend to care for the shrine and update it.”<br/>There was silence on the other end of the line, but then a low whistle made it through.<br/>“Inventive, Son. What brought about this line of thought?”<br/>“Ask Inuyasha about a priestess he knew five hundred years ago. We have some questions about her he did not care enough to answer.” Sesshoumaru paused. “Quit calling us Son. It is demeaning.”<br/>The taiyoukai laughed but acquiesced. “Should he call you or are you coming to speak with him directly?”<br/>“We are coming to him. Have the heli pad prepped in two hours.”<br/>He shrugged on his shirt and groused at the missing buttons. Tucking what was left of the shirt in his pants, he shrugged on the black suit jacket and tossed his still damp silver hair over his shoulder. </p><p>“Ready the car Jaken.” The imp nodded as Sesshoumaru made last minute adjustments to his ruined outfit. He towel dried the rest of his hair, combing the tresses with his fingers and poured a touch of coffee. One sip and spit told him he was better off waiting for the espresso machine at the office. He opened the door and moved to leave the room in stride only to bump into one of the women Kagome was with the night before. She flushed heavily and stared up at him from under a tan sun hat. Opportunity seized him, and he gave her a charming smile.</p><p>“Apologies, Miss. Did not we see you downstairs at the pool?”<br/>The brown haired girl nodded mutely, staring in open mouthed obeisance. He felt his face fall into a pondering look as he made show of looking over all three girls.<br/>“We do not see the other one. It was our goal to give her our number and name, then ask for hers. Would it be too much trouble to pass along the information and ask her name?”<br/>Another dark haired girl shook her head.<br/>“No, o-of course not! Her name is Higurashi Kagome, and mine is Yuka! It’d be my pleasure to give her your number.. Mister...?”<br/>Sesshoumaru flashed her a fanged grin.<br/>“Taisho. Sesshoumaru Taisho.” He pulled a card from his jacket and handed it to the girl named Yuka. “Please, let her know to call if she ever finds herself in a rut.” <br/>All three girls were wide eyed and nodded unanimously as he turned to leave them. Higurashi Kagome. He glanced down at his phone as he headed for the elevator, requesting a number to one of the more advanced managers. <br/>“Abe Ansatsu.” The phone rang and was promptly picked up. <br/>“My Lord Sesshoumaru, how nice to hear from you. What is your pleasure today?” She purred in his ear. <br/>“We have need of your superior sleuthing. Higurashi Kagome. Female. Black hair, brown eyes, roughly twenty-five to thirty-two, one hundred and sixty centimeters and we guess by her weight about ninety five or so pounds.”</p><p>“Gee, boss, that’s oddly specific even for you. Any reason we are looking up a little girl?”<br/>“You were not hired to ask questions. Do your job and report back immediately your findings.” He ended the call and stepped out of the now landed elevator towards the door. Jaken had already checked them out and the car was indeed pulled around. In an hour he would be landed on the heli-pad of his company’s secondary building. In half that time, he would know everything there was to know about Higurashi Kagome. </p><p>~*~</p><p>Kagome sat fidgeting in the temp office as she waited for her turn. Sally, or so she called herself, had been exponentially busy lately with the fluctuating businesses and was trying to keep up with the flow of unemployed people. Once Kagome was called in, she sat and quickly asked what she was there to ask.<br/>“So any news on that filing job with the hospital?”<br/>Sally shook her head.</p><p>“Its not great what I have, and what I think we’re going to get is worse. A bunch of people from the original hospital are pulling seniority bullshit and trying to push you out of the slot you signed on for. I was hoping to battle back, but I’m afraid your best shot might actually  be to go in and make yourself known to the hospital. I can get you everything you need from our office, but you’re gonna have to put up a fight for this position, Kagome.”<br/>Kagome’s shoulders slumped a touch but she nodded. Today, she was going to be super positive Kagome, who can purify demons and file paperwork with all the enthusiasm of her sunshine-assed teenage self.</p><p>“I’ll take whatever you can give me and head down there today. Sounds like I don’t have time to wait anymore.”<br/>“Y’know Kagome, you could always try and fill in at the old position in the old hospital.” Sally suggested. Kagome gave her a withering smile.<br/>“We both know they are about to tear that place down as soon as it’s replacement is running smoothly. If I don’t get my foot in the door now, I’ll never get it in.” She rose as Sally handed her the freshly printed papers coming off the printer. <br/>“Fair enough. And I was told you had a few other things you wanted to add to your resume?”<br/>Kagome startled, and nodded.</p><p>“Yeah;  I was a shrine maiden for my family’s shrine in Tokyo. Now its a pretty popular tourist destination. I figured I could at least add something to my resume for care-giving and stuff. I don’t know how you can phrase that to not sound lame, but I would appreciate it on all my future ventures.” She chuckled. “Chances are, if I come back empty handed from this, I’m going to have to settle for something else.”<br/>Sally’s face was grim, but she put on a fake smile that didn’t reach her eyes. <br/>“We’ll figure it out, Higurashi. Try not to think about it and go demand that interview.”<br/>Kagome nodded and left Sally’s office as well as the Temp building. She was on a bus towards the hospital when her phone rang.<br/>“Oh my god can you believe-<br/>“Holy Shit Kagome!”<br/>“He’s so so hot!”<br/>Kagome’s head reeled away from the loudness of the phone before bringing it back to her ear.<br/>“What the hell, Eri?” She hissed into the phone. “One at a time!”<br/>“OHMYGAHD KAGOME!” Eri’s voice blared as she yelled into the phone. “Remember that guy last night at the pool with the white hair that had abs you could wash your pussy on?!”<br/>“Dear God, Eri, you’re so gross!” Ayumi groused in the background.<br/>“Shuddup, Ayumi you prude. Any way, we freaking ran into him on our way down to checkout and he gave us his card and asked for your name!” Eri squealed into the phone. Kagome paled and she fumbled the phone.<br/>“You didn’t give him anything did you?” <br/>“No, no, we didn’t give him your number or anything, just your name!”Eri answered brightly. Kagome’s stomach fell off the bus. <br/>“Fuck.”<br/>“Whats wrong? I thought you’d be psyched!” Eri pouted. Kagome swallowed hard and cleared her throat.<br/>“Uhm... W-well, that guy is kinda.. Well he’s.. He’s a stalker. From my past.” She fumbled.<br/>There was a long pause on the phone.<br/>“Seriously? Thats the worst story you’ve come up with yet, Kagome. Not funny to joke about shit like that.” Eri scolded. “But seriously, what can he do with a name?”<br/>Kagome sighed hard.<br/>“Hopefully nothing, Eri, but even so. Don’t go giving my name to random strangers and if you see that guy again, avoid him. He’s a one night stand.” <br/>More silence met her.<br/>“Sweet jeezus, don’t even tell me that's what took you so long at the ice machine, Kagome.” Eri said. <br/>“What, what?” Called Yuka.<br/>“She said she fucked that guy last night!” Eri said. Kagome’s eyes screwed shut and she pinched the bridge of her nose at the scandal in Eri’s tone, which in turn caused a chorus of gasps on the other end of the line.<br/>“Oh my god Kagome really?!” was Ayumi’s response.<br/>“How the fuck-<br/>“When did you even find the time to-<br/>Kagome waved like her friends could see her and finally sputtered.<br/>“Stop! My god, you guys act like you’ve never had sex in your lives! Yes. I had a one night stand with a stranger on my dirty thirty, like you guys haven’t done weirder shit in your lives!”<br/>Eri laughed, but agreed wholeheartedly with her. <br/>“Listen, even if you don’t want to call or talk to this mystery man, I’ll send you a picture of his really really nice embossed business card. He said, and I quote, ‘If your friend is ever in a rut, tell her to give us a call.’” <br/>Kagome rolled her eyes. <br/>“Is that all?”<br/>“Yup. And happy dirty thirty, Kagome. We love you.”<br/>Kagome felt her eyes soften as she rose to leave the bus, now at her stop.<br/>“I love you guys too. Give Yuka and Ayumi a hug for me, tell them I love them. Thanks for making my birthday not so horrible.”<br/>They hung up and Kagome stared at the crumbling hospital before her, walking into the lobby with confidence as she approached the front desk.<br/>“I need to speak with Human Resources about scheduling an interview.”<br/>The nurse on the phone jabbed her pen in the general direction of a hallway, not sparing her another glance. Kagome rallied herself and marched down the hall, hunkering down for a long day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are a delight and constructive criticism is always welcome. Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Butt Comfort</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru was sitting at his desk as he shuffled through the paperwork sent up from the third floor. All of it was on paperwork pertaining to the reconnaissance he had ordered on Higurashi Kagome. Sure enough, there was a shrine in Tokyo that was a national treasure that boasted housing many forgotten pastime treasures. It also had a well that had no specific name, but the tree, Goshinboku was there. All these arrows pointed exactly where he wanted them to. There was a gnawing anger at his blissful ignorance for not seeing it for so long that he kept feeling like bile at the back of his throat. She had clearly come from this place, and fifteen years ago, she was traveling too and fro in the past while he was busy making business deals with the government and sequestering his idiot half brother and father to do his bidding out of the public eye as much as possible. </span>
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  <span class="tm5">The realizations made him stand, shutting his eyes as he rubbed his temples with one hand and the other steadying on his desk. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure he wanted to revisit this old ghost. It stirred complicated emotions he thought he had buried with Rin when she died. Inuyasha at the time had provided no clear cut answers. The only babbling he had was after Sesshoumaru had beaten the ever loving dog shit out of him, and he only lived because Rin had stood on the edge of the forest sobbing inconsolably. Once the bloodied hanyou had fallen unconscious, Sesshoumaru had turned, gathered the crying girl up and walked away from humans; hopefully for good. </span>
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  <span class="tm5">That’s how it stayed until Rin was no longer able to travel long distances and was forced to stay in a small village. He hunted for her, provided her with all the comforts she would ever need until she eventually died of old age close to the one hundred year mark. She had been buried in a field thick with flowers, grave marked by a commissioned stone carved by artisans of the time. He had hoped it would stand the test of time, and before long, more had come to bury their dead. It was now a very large, very famous and very ancient burial ground, but the flowers no longer grew there. Every so often, he would send money to have the entire site replanted with flowers, and it would need to be renewed more often than not due to the stench of death and decay that ruined the soil. It wasn’t until much later he had decided to adapt and grow into the human society as they laid waste to his kind. Proving useful and adept at ruling his lands, he made back deal contracts with certain rising government officials in the human world, and then found himself owner of a consulting agency that would stand the test of time based solely on the jobs they worked with the assembled government. In times of peace, most of the jobs were simply keeping peace and restoring national treasures. In times of war...</span>
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  <span class="tm5">A knock sounded on his door.</span>
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  <span class="tm5">“My lord, your brother is here to see you.” His secretary, a blonde haired American woman with impeccable linguistics and a very talented tongue lead the half demon in. Inuyasha eyed the woman as he passed, just as she raised a brow at Sesshoumaru before turning in her tight white pencil skirt to leave them to their meeting.</span>
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  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha watched her go, not so subtly before drawing his gaze to Sesshoumaru. The hanyou had aged, as was common for half demons. He more closely resembled his their sire with more noticeable ears. The lines of age on his face were drawn as he moved to sit down, crossing one leg over the other in a silvery taupe business suit. His collar had been unbutton, and the top two buttons on the shirt he wore were left open. The hanyou was never one for restrictive neck gear like ties and such nonsense, and even with his comfortable casual wear he looked apprehensive.</span>
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  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru turned, hands joining behind his back loosely as he surveyed the skyline from the top floor of the building he owned as his headquarters in Kyoto. The city itself was not terrible, but his preference for mountain ranges made him sigh in unfulfilled exasperation.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Out with it, Sesshoumaru. You’ve never been one to mince words or draw shit out.” Inuyasha rabbled. Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder, noting Inuyasha had a raised brow and was waiting for him to get on with it. </span>
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  <span class="tm5">“You already know the information we are after.” He drawled. Inuyasha shuffled behind him.</span>
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  <span class="tm5">“I know what you’re after, Sessh. What I want to know is why - did something come up you weren’t gonna tell me about?” </span>
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  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru could feel his fingers twitch in irritation. Hundreds of years, and the moron still kept to his yocal slang. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Look over the papers on the desk. We had Abe dig for it; apparently her search took ten minutes. Twenty minutes less than was originally anticipated to gather the information. It took you a full two days to respond to summons.” </span>
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  <span class="tm5">He heard more rustling as the half demon shifted in his seat again. Clearly, Inuyasha was stalling. Sesshoumaru turned and appraised his half brother, who had leaned forward and pawed through the documents, seemingly unsurprised by any of it.<br/>“You act as though none of this information comes as a revelation.” </span>
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  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha’s eyes finally met his as his fingers came together.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It isn’t.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You knew she was in this era?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not a year, specifically, but I was pretty sure about thirty years ago I was close to her original timeline.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And you said nothing.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha gave an exasperated sigh as he ran a had through his hair, between his ears, scratching back and forth.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why the fuck does this matter so much all of the sudden, Sesshoumaru? I thought you were over this. Like, four hundred fucking years over this.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s eyes flashed at the half demon, but he held his tongue. The idiot was blustering and nervous. Clearly, this matter did not just concern him, but also Inuyasha. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Listen. Because I wanted not to mess with the original timeline, I chose to say nothing. I didn’t need you going all white knight asshat demon lord. In fact, its been years and I still can’t predict how you’ll react to bad news.” Inuyasha gave him a measured look. “And now that you can’t straight out kill someone, you’ve gotten more creative with your offense.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A compliment was a compliment and Sesshoumaru didn’t argue. But Inuyasha’s original statement still bothered him more than it should have. Just as he had been contemplating letting the dead horse lay, Inuyasha’s questioning why it mattered gave him pause. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He shouldn’t care. Rin was dead and gone. Perhaps it was the sting of rejection echoing all these years later that bothered him. It could truly be that he still held a grudge. He let none of this play on his features, instead keeping a cool perusal of his brother. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“There is one thing you never addressed. We never spoke of. She wanted to leave with you for reasons unknown. We are aware you never approved. Not that such things mattered between consenting parties. But we must ask you in earnest... ” Sesshoumaru paused before turning, leaning on the desk with both palms spread, claws scratching the marble surface. “Was she with you at the end?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha’s eyes bled red when he realized what Sesshoumaru was asking. Inuyasha stood, straightening his shirt and jacket, smoothing a hand over his hair and ruffling his bangs. It was not entirely unexpected when Inuyasha’s foot came flying into his chest, smashing him back against the glass hard enough to crack it as he threw the heavy marble desk to one side before grabbing Sesshoumaru by the tie and throwing another two punches to Sesshoumaru’s face. All were taken with dignity, and hardly a strand of hair was out of place when Inuyasha released him to turn back for the door. He paused when he had a hand on the handle.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I wish. The way you fucked with her, tore through her, used her as a nanny.. I fucking wish, Sesshoumaru, she had decided to come back to me. I don’t know what you did to her to make her want you so much, but the second you laid a claw on her after she trusted you, it was spitting in the face of the love and loyalty she’d shown you. All because you couldn’t wait for her to tell you what she wanted. ‘Cus you couldn’t hear the sound of someone else’s ambition over the sound of your own. Fuck off, Sesshoumaru.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru watched his half-brother slam the door open.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You! With me. Now.” His secretary was following the hanyou as the door swung closed again as Sesshoumaru pulled his desk flush with its original station with one hand and tidying the papers. Inuyasha’s little love taps were the exchange for the information he wanted. Clearly, the priestess was still a sore spot for both of them, in different ways. Sesshoumaru had never been a harbinger of love, often times exactly the opposite. He’d had no use for love unless it was displayed in loyalty, and in his time after Kagome, he’d had even less use for it in his travels. Giving her credit for raising emotions in him annoyed him to no end. She was responsible for his first and last desire to mate. After the desk was tidied enough to leave, Sesshoumaru headed for the building’s elevator, noting his secretary still hadn’t returned to her post. He would have to text her the final tasks for the evening before she’d get to leave. Checking his watch, the headed for the third floor of the building where his father was holding a meeting. Hopefully this land issue for the Ministry of Agricultures Islands Restoration project would finally have a viable solution.</span>
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</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
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</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">With a series of interviews down and glowing reviews from those she’d sat with, Kagome had hoped they would be seriously considering her for a full time job. It had been a week on part time, and she’d been keeping to herself as well as buying the cheapest food she could to start saving as much as she could. Time was marching slowly, and according to the interview, the hospital construction wasn’t even due to be finished until mid fall. She had at least another two months to go before she would receive anything official in the way of interviews and acceptance notifications. The additional time she had was spent looking into the cost of restraining orders, weapons permits, and the steps it would take to buy a gun. Clearly, it would take time. Time that she did indeed have on her hands.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Calling her mother, she asked for a few photos from ten years ago of the bruises she’d come home with. Once that had happened, she had gone about finding local hunting clubs, demonstrating her skills with a bow and arrow when it was presented to her. Oddly enough the first few steps to getting the fire arm she wanted were not as hard as it sounded. There were at least four like minded women who had joined the club for exactly the same reasons. Thanks to her schooling, Kagome had found a certain amount of joy in fact finding and footwork towards her ultimate goal. Combining knowledge with hard work that had a physical outcome was just something that came naturally to her. After the first week of working on her firearms permit, she had the paperwork in and had to wait for. She had told Ayumi what she was doing; while Ayumi had reservations about guns in general, she understood Kagome's desire to have something a little better than a taser or a wooden bow and arrow to protect herself with. She had signed off on her mental aptitude, and Kagome’s work was one step closer to her ultimate goal. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">With her unexpected brush with the past, she had also decided that if she didn’t want to be depressed in her apartment, she’d need to change some things around. Moving furniture, looking for little bargains, asking for old paint and other items helped change the mood in her apartment drastically. She had even gone so far as to ask the little old woman across the way what she though would help. The woman’s first response? Plants. Growing something alive. She had let Kagome peruse all the little succulents that had grown, the orchids hanging in the kitchen above the window. The old woman certainly reminded her of Kaede. Which in turn reminded her of all the wild herbs she had gathered with the old woman. Upon closer inspection, she found many herbs that tended to grow wild in greener parts of the city, and she would find starts to begin growing around the apartment. With the building owner’s permission, she began planting and using her time more constructively.</span>
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  <span class="tm5">Hands in the soil helped. The anxiety she had felt crushing her in the apartment, in the sudden realization she was thirty with nothing accomplished in her life but regret... It seeped away when she began making everything around her better, greener. Her phone was still her lifeline to her family, but she couldn’t help eyeing it like a traitor. Like one day, it would ring and she would hear his deep baritone, coaxing her to come back, to make more mistake. And every time she would pass by the charging station, tossing a drying rag over it so she wouldn’t have to stare it in the face. The card she received in her message from Eri gave her something to work with, but she still didn’t have the mental fortitude to face Inuyasha, if he was even still alive. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">There was still a big part of her that wanted to leave well enough alone, and that part had been winning out every time she had held the argument with herself. Sesshoumaru knew her name. If what little looking she’d done into the company told her anything, he would probably know every detail of her life in seconds if he wanted to. The company he was apparently head of was a consultation company directly influencing the motions of Ministry work, be it Trade, Agriculture, or even Local Government. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Just that knowledge had kept her from eating for a few days, she had been so sick to her stomach. The only thing that was a reassurance was that there had been no contact from him, or anyone else for that matter. Her paranoia hadn’t died down, but she had been using the coping methods she’d been taught and adapting to the situation as it changed. For now, their game of silent chicken was fine with her. She received approval for her firearms test in June, and had begun the new interviews with the police as to her need for the gun. Upon seeing the pictures she’d provided of her twenty-year old self, miserable and bruised, there had been next to no objections. They had only asked why the photos were so old, to which she had responded they were a reminder of what had been, and what could happen if one didn’t have the means to protect themselves. Revenge was not an option, nothing she wanted anymore, but she did desire the means to fight back if she were ever pushed into such a corner again. She had told them she felt more responsible in her older age, but had found herself still desiring such means if she intended to be in more rural areas as a single woman. They approved her permits, and had not problems with her background reviews. Once this was done, she returned to the hunting club for minor training with airsoft guns to help better prepare her for the official testing. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">With the summer time had come a little extra work from the hospital while regular employees took their families on summer vacations. The extra money helped pay for a small safe that would be the house for at least three pistols. She had two in mind, but continued to keep to herself until the gunpowder permit had been approved. It was the end of June, most of the harder footwork for the permits were done and she had begun to look into shops where she could find what she wanted as well as save for the expense. All the while, she had been working additional hours for the hospital on her best behavior. Surely, every last bit of work she could put in would give her an extra inside with the ultimate goal: a full time job with the hospital. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome didn’t slow down until the end of the summer. She had passed every exam, had all of her certificates as well as money collected for her first handgun. Barry, or Bato, the owner of the shop greeted her with a cheerful wave. The man liked to pretend he wasn’t a hulking seven foot mass of scars and military training. He had been the one to help her figure out exactly where to go for all of her paperwork, even provided some of it himself and directed her where to go. Having had a daughter himself, he had a tendency to treat her the same.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Little Miss Kagome! How are ya?” He shook her hand hard and leaned on the glass case. “Is it finally time to buy Little Barry here?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He waggled his thick graying brows at her as he tapped the glass below his heavily calloused fingertips. Kagome laughed, a full belly feeling that made her soul warm. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Little Barry is indeed coming home with me today.” She said with a nod as she tucked her hair behind her ears. The old man gave a celebratory yell, raising both hands over his head and suddenly disappeared to the back room.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I have just the thing for carrying your bundle of joy home!” He called from the stock room. She could hear him rifling around before he came back out with a box that had clearly been wrapped by his twelve year old daughter. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kimi-chan wanted to wrap it up so it was special, but we wanted to make sure you got this!” He thrust the box wrapped in purple and white polkadots with a wrinkled ribbon into her hands. She smiled demurely, a little unsure as she laughed and unwrapped the gift. Inside the printed tissue paper lay two different holsters. Lifting them out of the box, she noticed they were brand new. One was an inner pants holster, and the other was a shoulder holster.<br/>“One for stealth and one for show if you’re wearing a teeshirt.” The old man’s gleeful face suddenly became more serious. It was just like the battle hardened Bato. “I don’t know what pushed you this hard, Kagome-chan, but be careful. A weapon is a weapon no matter what, and disabling shots are only for the skilled. You don’t shoot to disable.” He paused, his eyes scanning her with intensity. “You shoot to kill.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s smile slowly fell but she understood where he was coming from. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I didn’t come to this decision lightly, Mr. Bato. I’m doing this to stay safe. You’ve seen the paperwork.” She paused, considering the weight of her words. “I found out an old lover was in town recently. You saw the pictures I assume. It’s part of the file you helped me collect. That was him.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Bato’s entire demeanor stilled and his face darkened. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I see.” His hand came to rest beside hers as he leaned forward again. “Kagome, if you ever need a safe place, you have my card. My home with my wife and child are just a stroll away-”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome gave him a quiet smile and stopped him with a soft hand on his wrist. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I can take care of myself. That was ten years ago. I’m not the naive little girl I was.” She sighed. “I might make some dumb choices from time to time, but that’s part of being human.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They both exchanged another quiet smile before Barry’s intensity disappeared behind a bright smile.<br/>“Lets get Little Barry comfortable and ready to go!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">For the next ten minutes, he helped her don the holsters and adjust them to her size. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You know, the wife and family are headed up into the mountains for some range practice on at one of our family cabins. You should come!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome chuckled but shook her head.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I have overtime I need to collect on. All my money is gone to your pocket with Little Barry! I gotta be ready for winter time!” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He nodded in understanding.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re always welcome. Now that you have Little Barry, don’t be a stranger. I can help you maintain him and I have all the supplies you’ll need as time goes on. Take care of him,” He pointed to the gun that was now laying on the counter, “And he’ll take care of you.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome slid the empty cartridge out of the weapon before pocketing it and holstering the Beretta in the inner pants holster she had placed at her back. She gave Bato a salute and walked out of the shop, a feeling of accomplishment and safety a blanket over her. Now she had one more goal in mind, something she had intended to try since she had started the rigmarole of paperwork. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She wanted to see if a bullet would hold purified energy. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are always appreciated and constructive criticism makes a better writer.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Obstinance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru had an apartment in the building directly across from his workplace. Travel between the two was a jaunt across the street and saved time when he was unable to go home to his hideaway on Sado Island. Gin swished in the crystal he’d poured it into as he surveyed the cityscape. This was not where he wanted to be. The meeting with his father had drawn out unnecessarily long, but bore unexpected fruit. In a targeted audience of the men and women they were looking for, there was a success rate of at least sixty-five percent confirming they would be happy to be sent to care for and update a shrine should they receive monthly stipends that would total a salary as well as the amount it would take to upgrade the shrines.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Of those that agreed, around twenty percent of them were interested in raising families as they made upgrades to the shrines. There were for major islands and around twenty shrines that required immediate attention. While families seemed ideal to plant at those areas so there would be a revolving line of humans, the amount per stipend went up easily around seventy-five percent versus individuals. The long haul said it would be best to rotate individuals out and call upon specialists for restoration reasons only when needed. Touga had sounded confident in the numbers Abe Ansatsu had presented, and they already had a few candidates based on local temp agencies who had record of people who had previously worked in shrines. On record alone there was about fifty times the needed amount, and they were able to be choosy. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The Ministry had not been as confident. Sesshoumaru took a sip, then tossed the glass back before placing it back on the bar. His fingers rubbed the thick information card from the stack in the file sitting on the small coffee table centered in his receiving room. Even with the Vice Minister’s daughter on staff presenting the numbers, they had insisted on doing a small run of no more than three shrines in the worst disrepair. It was also noted that instead of leaving the work completely to shrine maidens, that Sesshoumaru would need to pull strings in the demonic realm and find appropriate matches for the surrounding land for them. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">In recent times, research suggested when there was harmony between the demons and the clergy, there was harmony in the land. Any part that had been scarred by unnatural presence, by natural disasters, anything that caused loss of life was faster to heal with it’s yin-yang energy fully restored to itself. Inuyasha had volunteered his family to start work on the first; however that was quickly shot down when it was noted they needed to start with the focus groups. Sesshoumaru’s claws tapped along the thick paper again as he slid his shoes off before pouring himself another drink. Among the dozens of names, some had been selected based on further investigation of their current residence, as well as how long they had taken to caring for their individual temples. Background information had been collected that had been readily available and the hundreds had turned into a handful. Sesshoumaru glanced at his empty glass, not realizing he’d emptied it. He poured another, as his knuckles whitened on it. The sound of the door opening and closing did not stop him from downing another drink. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, son, have you chosen -”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The crash of glass against the door signaled he had missed his father’s head. It did, however, silence the questions. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are in no mood. Leave before a whole set is ruined.” Sesshoumaru’s tone left no room for argument as he pulled another crystal glass from the set and poured what was left of the gin.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’ve been an unsightly and uncontrollable mess.” Touga Taisho sat on his couch, lounging with a displeased look on his face. “Just because I handed control of this company to you doesn’t mean I’m going to sit back and watch your hissy fits and mood swings destroy it.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Tch.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga raised a brow at him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“At what point are you going to tell me what happened between you and Inuyasha two weeks ago? Your poor secretary sent in her resignation and had to be paid hush money after what he did to her that day. She thinks Inuyasha is going to take care of her for the rest of her life.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What your bastard does to our employees is as much on you. And here you are to demand change in our countenance?” Sesshoumaru’s fist tightened on the glass as he spun to glare at the old dog demon general.<br/>“I expect you to be better than a pup, Sesshoumaru. I’m used to cleaning up Inuyasha’s messes, not yours. I hear it has something to do with your shared past, but Inuyasha isn’t piping up so I figured I’d come to the shorter end of the stick for the quickest version. What the hell is causing you boys so much irritation? Is it money? A woman?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru contained a snarl.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s irritation cleared as he appraised his son’s frustrations. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“A woman.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru moved out of the receiving room and headed for the kitchen. For some reason, he had every desire in the world to palm something sharp. It was times like these he desired his swords be within easy reach. He could sense his father’s aura following him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Are you both fucking the same woman? Or something along those lines?”<br/>Sesshoumaru leaned on the black marble of the kitchen island, one hand still clutching the thick paper in his hand as the other’s grasp on his gin tightened.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Surely this can be resolved by just talking it out with the woman, right? I mean, maybe she doesn’t know-” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru hadn’t even realized he’d broken the glass in his hand as he slammed it down on the counter.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is none of your affair.” His voice was deadly still. It did not accurately represent the boiling rage rumbling beneath his exterior. Blood ran over the counter. Touga was quiet behind him for a long moment, making no move toward him before he sighed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I won’t bore you with tales of romance and love. It isn’t in your nature nor does it come easily to you.” The dog demon picked the glass pieces from Sesshoumaru’s hand and began throwing them in the nearby trash. “I don’t understand what’s going on, God forbid you give me any detail about your personal life I don’t have to dig up. But if it is that serious, you need to talk with the woman that caused this. It’ll be glass under your skin until you have closure as well.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hn. Inuyasha already gave us closure. It is the information given that was... distasteful to us.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s eyes flicked over his son, still picking the larger pieces of glass up before he moved to grab the black towel at the edge of the sink and wetting it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“My statement stands. Talk to the woman.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga called over the intercom for one of the servers to come and clean up a broken glass as he handed Sesshoumaru the towel.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It's doubted, but should you need anything, let me know, Sesshoumaru.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">With that, his father turned and left his apartment. How the old man kept getting in was beyond Sesshoumaru. He’d turned the staff over four times and still had the same problem. He looked down at Kagome’s smiling face printed on the profile card that had been sent with the candidates that most qualified. Every board member had received a copy of the information, and of his board, there were only two that would not recognize her face. It was why he had Ansatsu pull the card from every folder and leave her information out. Blessedly, she was still mostly loyal to Sesshoumaru alone, but Inuyasha’s latest stint proved the only woman in the company able to keep her wits about her around the Taisho men was Abe Ansatsu and it was a matter of time before the stupid bastard ruined that too, despite his warnings. Kagome was one of the top candidates for one of the more challenging shrines on the coasts of Sado Island. She came highly recommended by her family, who insisted she had strong spiritual powers as well as responsibility. Most of the information collected had come from her mother, who had been more than happy to answer questions upon Abe’s phone call. The profile card even had her address in Kashiwazaki as well as her current profession, and where the agency was attempting to place her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her agent’s name was Sally, and at the behest of an out-sourcing company who hired most of the people that would eventually come to TaishoCorp., they had reached out to her to extend the offering on behalf of the Ministry. According to Ansatsu, she hadn’t been reachable for most of the summer, but with fall closing in the agent had assured them it would reach her in a matter of time. Sesshoumaru, setting the profile card on the counter, now began pulling shards of glass from his hand and throwing them in the trash can. The maid gasped upon entering, fussing over the blood before he pulled away and picked the card back up, heading for his bedroom. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">“You’re angry.” She said softly. The moon was bright through the trees as his claws flexed and his jaw twitched. “Always so godamned angry. And for what? Little ol’ Inuyasha. Calm down. He’s always been stubborn. So have you!”</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">Her comparison only further stoked his irritation, and he moved through the brush like nothing was between them, wrapping his arm around her waist before kissing her harshly.</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">“We do not stand idly by while you make such ridiculous comparisons. We are nothing like the half-breed bastard.” He drawled against her grinning mouth. Her complete disregard of his station was annoying... And completely endearable. She was fresh air in a stagnant world that refused to speak to him. Even his vassals did not share their true feelings anymore. She was the bridge between them. </span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">“But its so much fun to annoy you.” She teased, flicking the sensitive shell of his ear. He hissed against her mouth and she swallowed it greedily as he hiked her up in his arms, cupping and squeezing the fleshy mound of her ass.</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">“We should have ended your life long before you bewitched us.” He groaned against her and her rolling hips. “Cease your actions woman. We will bed you just as soon as we return to the village.”</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">She panted as the kusode she had borrowed fell off one of her shoulders.</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">“What if I don’t want to wait...?”</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">“So impatient. You are no different.”</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">She bit his earlobe and he grunted as her blunted human teeth held it, pulling on it before licking him gently. “Fuck me, Sesshoumaru.”</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">His head jerked around and his eyes flickered between gold and red as his temper and lust got the better of him.</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">“Your dirty mouth... we will put it to far better use than swearing. Perhaps then...” He bit her lower lip, drawing blood as she gasped for him, “You will rethink using it for such foulness.”</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">*</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru stared at the photo, now dressed down in a pair of black silk pajama pants and nothing else. His cock hardened at the memories of her back then. Gods, she was a pain in his ass then too. He absently stroked the length of his member as he mused on her. It certainly hadn’t changed in five hundred years. He remembered that night, she had barely been able to remove the hakama she’d borrowed from the one eyed priestess before impaling herself on his length, which had been pulled hastily over the top knot of his own hakama. He’d punished her that night. As he recalled, she’d learned how to deep throat, rather painfully. While shame trickled along the edges of his senses, he groaned as his cock throbbed painfully in his hand. The best part of those memories was the way she had called for him. Never had she hidden the way she felt about him. And never has she faulted him for refusing to say it out loud. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">Kagome had pushed back the bile in her throat as tears gathered in her eyes from swallowing his impressive length. In fact, if Sesshoumaru hadn’t been so distracted by the feeling of how her mouth worked over his heated member, he would have remarked on how she enjoyed her work. Before he wasted his seed in her mouth, he had pulled her violently off his cock and spun her around, impaling her in a rough set of strokes that left her screaming in surprise and want. He knew she was close, and he had no intention of cumming before she. Playing with that little button of pleasure at the front of her labia, he brought her screaming and poured himself into her. They had stayed joined for a long few moments, reveling in warmth and afterglow. She had kissed his stripes and hummed as she thanked him for a good orgasm, going still and quiet for a few moments.</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">“God, I love you Sesshoumaru.” </span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm6">It was said quietly, almost under her breath as she still worked to catch her breath, but Sesshoumaru heard her loud and clear. Still, he said nothing. Instead, his arms wrapped tighter around the priestess and he inhaled the scent of her in their afterglow, falling asleep on their discarded clothing.</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She had never once told him she needed to hear it. Sesshoumaru came in a low grunt, spilling over his hand and making a mess of his silk pajamas. Growling, he rose to change and wash. He was still undecided how to go about this new development. The world was conspiring to drive him insane. All of the carefully cultivated patience and inner peace he’d managed in his many years was bleeding away at her nearness.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome was coming back from outside, her knees stained with dirt and her forehead streaked with the same. She had finished weeding the herb garden she’d planted out front of the building and was ready for a hot bath. Once inside her apartment, she started the bath and went to the kitchen to wash her hands. Her phone blinked at her from the charger and she dried her hands before snatching it up and walking to the bathroom. She poured epsom salt and scented soap in the hot water as she pulled up her voice mails and dressed down. Stretching she hit play on the first number.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hey Kagome! Its Sally. I just wanted to reach out about a new opportunity we’ve received an offer from the government I think you might want to hear! Give us a call back so we can schedule some time to go over the details with you!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome pursed her lips and closed the lid on the toilet seat, putting her towel on the lid and setting her phone as she hit play on the next message before sinking into the hot water.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hello, Miss Higurashi. My name is Hide, and I’m calling with the Ministry of Agriculture. We are doing a survey in regards to the upkeep of shrines along our islands and had some questions for you regarding the availability you have for an opportunity we would like to share with you. Please call us back at the number given.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Twice in one day from different agencies. Kagome’s curiosity was officially piqued. Her steps toward the hospital hadn’t gotten much better. They had begun treating her like a whipping boy any time an issue with the system arose, or notes were left unfinished despite her detailed work. She wasn’t perfect, but dammit, she wasn’t as bad as they were making her out to be. It was those assholes working full time. Sure, she was useful to fill in for vacations but now that summer was halfway done, they weren’t any closer to answering the question she had been asking for months: Would she be offered a full time job? And with the nay-sayers, it sounded more and more like it would be a resounding no. Maybe Sally was right. Kagome sighed as the hot water came up over her belly and teased the undersides of her bust. Nothing beat a hot bath. Ever. At least that was one constant in her life.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She leaned her head back, using her foot to shut the water off and tippy tapped with her fingertips around until she hit play on the last voice mail.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“.... We wanted to speak with you....”</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His baritone paused and Kagome bolted upright.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“It appears perhaps you lost the number we passed on... Or.. Perhaps you chose not to call.”</span> </p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Kagome frowned at her phone. There was a level of uncertainty she’d never heard in his voice, let alone how weird it was to get a voice mail from the aristocratic assassin.</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Regardless, it is not in us to leave things the way they were...” There was another long pause. She could hear him sigh. “Please consider calling us.”</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">There was another long pause before recording stopped and her box was empty. Her lips pursed and she stared at the phone, remembering her conversation with Bato.</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Stupid life decision, here I come.” She mumbled, sinking into the hot water and blowing a few bubbles before submerging to rinse her hair. Her eyes darted back to her phone, sitting there with its innocent black screen. All she had to do was call him back. Tapping the screen showed her it was late.<br/>“Maybe I should call later...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Even Kagome knew she was making excuses. She let out a frustrated yelp as she gently conked her head with her fists, feeling stupid for giving in to her fears. Her target practice since getting Barry the Beretta had improved so much that the hunting club was requesting she join their shooting club. Apparently, shooting was an Olympic Sport, and they wanted to teach her to use a rifle with the off chance she’d make their team. She had thanked them, but declined. All that had begun to remind her how silly she was being afraid of the daiyoukai. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Yeah, he was tough. But her experiments with the Beretta were proving useful. Infusing a cartridge with holy power and praying over it before anointing it had shown promising results. The only problem with her guesswork was she wasn’t about to go around shooting bullets at random demons.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome stared at the black hole of her phone’s screen and reached for it. She hit the re-dial button before she could change her mind, holding her breath. The phone rang once, then twice. When it rang the third time and there was still no answer, she could feel both relief and disappointment flood her. Then a click stilled her heart.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kagome..?”</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Heat flooded her cheeks and flowed down, over her breasts, tightening her nipples and making her stomach clench. And she hadn’t even been thinking about their last night together.</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You called.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He paused.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Indeed.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The silence stretched awkwardly between them until Kagome felt the original disappointment cave in her stomach. She sighed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“If you didn’t want to talk-”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You have us on speaker?” He queried. She shook her head, water sloshing in the tub.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m alone.” She swallowed. “Getting ready to go to bed. I check my messages before I settle down for the night in case I get called in for extra work in the morning.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hn.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The short response was typical Sesshoumaru. She put her hand to her mouth to avoid laughing outright at the demon lord, and when her smile had calmed she waited again for him speak again. When he didn’t she huffed, sitting up in the bathtub.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Seriously Sesshoumaru. I don’t have all night. Spit it out.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She heard him growl on the phone.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Gods, you are a pain in our ass. It feels.. Wrong to say these things on a phone. We’d rather see you in person.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome pursed her lips and reached for the loofa.<br/>“I’d rather not be around you anymore. I think you appreciate why.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His silences were palpable. Kagome could tell he wanted to say something, fill the silence.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is not our custom to apologize. It is unnatural and feels wrong when...” He was frustrated. “We were sure you’d left us for him. You said his name, and when Rin began to cry... It was all so much so fast. Your entire body stank of him and when we realized he could try and take you away..”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Tears smarted her eyes, and anger was bubbling in her stomach.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck you’re so obstinate. Were you even listening to me at the hotel?” She swiped at tears and reached for where she had placed her phone.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kagome, wait. Don’t hang up. Please.” His voice was soothing and she had missed it. The way it rumbled against her back during the times he had held conversation with her at the fire. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why shouldn’t I? You don’t want to hear what I have to say.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We implore you. Let us speak face to face.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome could feel her throat close as she seriously considered his request.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“When do you think you want to do this, Sesshoumaru?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Now.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She could feel her face pale. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You found my apartment, didn’t you?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She was met with silence. Swearing she got out of the tub, wrapping a large towel around her body as she stomped from the bathroom, through her living room. She grabbed her thigh holster and strapped it on under the towel before flinging the door open. There he stood in a half-tucked, wrinkled dress shirt and a pair of jeans slung low on his hips, feet in a pair of slip on loafers. He dropped the phone to his side as his eyes locked with hers. Kagome forced back her emotions, swallowing any fear and upset. She would not let her emotions get the best of her. That was his problem. He was insisting they end their feud? Fine. She would do it on her terms.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re a snoop. I hate being spied on.” Sesshoumaru’s mouth quirked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“May we come in?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re already here aren’t you? Chances are you could tell I was in the bath. Fewer clothes to work around right?” She stepped to one side, sweeping her arm over her abode. “You came in the second you started snooping, you asshat. I have no sense of privacy thanks to you these last few months.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The demon lord entered slowly, cautiously.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I assume you know I have a gun somewhere in the house?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s eyes slid to hers, never dropping from her gaze as he nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We could smell it upon entering. And the paperwork is fairly public for a servant such as us.”<br/>Her lips pursed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So you understand that the next time you lay hands on me, I’m going to shoot you.” She said softly as she closed the door and folded her arms in front of her. Sesshoumaru huffed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Such things don’t kill us, they barely slow us down.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’ve never been shot by a priestess with a gun. Where my bullet trick hasn’t been tested, I have no problem shooting you if I feel threatened. And just because it doesn’t kill you doesn’t mean I can’t slow you down enough to purify your ass. You came here to tell me something. Out with it so I can get back to my bath.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s hands ran through his hair, clearly frustrated as he laughed mirthlessly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Gods, woman. You were always so stubborn. Clearly time has changed nothing.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She pursed her lips, moving to the kitchen where she sat on a stool with her calves crossed. He looked at her again, and she felt her stomach drop. Sesshoumaru was different. Handsome to a fault, but different.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We came to try and grind out apologies, to listen to your reasons and we still can’t find it in us to have the desire to care about what happened then. The only reason we are here is because clearly you do. You care what happened.” He growled as his claws clenched. She saw a faint outline of blood as his hands squeezed. His eyes slid shut as he breathed deep. “What was your plan back then?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She bristled, but took a deep breath.<br/>“Inuyasha had mentioned something about the mainland, and a couple of ships landing on the western coasts. He wanted to explore that general area, but wasn’t sure he wanted to do it alone. He asked me to come with him.” She paused, watching his reaction. He said nothing, listening quietly. “He didn’t exactly bring it to me at a great time. I told him I’d think about it before I agreed. I didn’t want to leave without talking it over with Mama, and I still had Shippou and Rin. You came to me about a week after with your proposal.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome laughed, though there was little humor in it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I was barely twenty. I wasn’t ready to just marry someone.” She moved her gaze up to him. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved you. I loved Rin. I just.. It was so fast Sesshoumaru. Especially for a modern era girl.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s fist unclenched and sat on her recliner.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I wanted to wait. I wanted to talk to my mother, to be sure. Love and lust are two different things... I worried about how fast we were going to begin with, how attached Rin was getting. So many options had presented themselves I just needed a second to breath and decide. I didn’t get that.” She said bitterly, thumb tracing the hardness of the Beretta on the inside of her thigh. “Instead I got your wrath and no time to do anything but run from you. I was in such a state of disbelief, even when Mama told me there was a crack in the bones under my face where you backhanded me I couldn’t believe you’d really hit me that hard. I guess it was too fast. And to think that you loved me, I felt pretty foolish. I guess, in hind site...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She paused, looking up at him as he had finally met her gaze. “You really didn’t love me at all.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome had said it with such ease. Sitting in her shitty apartment on a cheap recliner, Sesshoumaru felt ashamed of himself for the first time in decades. He hated this feeling. His honor, pride had kept him far from it until now. But the reality of what he’d asked her to do.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“In the hundreds of years we had been alive before you, we had never settled down to mate as our matriarch desired.” Sesshoumaru started, staring wistfully off into the distance. “The idea of pupping a female and mating seemed like such an ugly waste of time. And the love Inu no Taisho had fallen into, even other demons who had fallen in love with you humans, tended to end in the worst ways. If the woman didn’t die, the demon did. Our younger self would not have stood for what we asked you to do if it had been pushed on ourselves. To have expected you to say anything positive was truly foolish. In our years, you were practically an infant.” He glanced at her with a smirk. “You humans and your short lives force you to mature so quickly.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He turned towards her, leaning his elbows on his knees as he laced his fingers before his mouth. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are regretful. Pushing you. Laying hand on you. If we would not allow it from anyone else, it is shameful to have done it ourselves.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s mouth fell open. He chuckled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Close your flytrap, Kagome.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You.. Practically apologized without actually saying it.” She gave a slow clap, amusement lighting her eyes. He huffed at her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Call it whatever you like.” He stood. “That is all we wanted to discuss. The understanding is there, and hopefully this will ease your anxiety. Know we have nothing but respect for you now, priestess. There have been no ill feelings for some time.” He paused. “Though it is not a lie that we have missed you. Women have come and gone from our life. None were as enjoyable as you.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s brow raised.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Good to know one of us was having fun in singledom. At least I lost my virginity before depression, or I’d still be a virgin today.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She hesitated.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m big enough to say I’m sorry about Rin. I regret a lot... But it wasn’t fair to her that I left. And I never, ever meant to hurt her. I daresay I loved her just like I did Shippou.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s chest swelled foreignly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“She did deeply miss you long after you were gone. All of the humans you left behind celebrated you long after.” He took a step toward her. “Her grave inspired one of the more famous graveyards.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I see. I hate to push you out the door, but..” She swallowed. Her scent had been fluctuating at a dizzying speed. He could feel the apprehension of his nearness, the sadness that remained a deep well within her. The relief she had was a blessing, like cool water against his own nerves. The only thing that gave him pause was the scent of gun oil and powder. A cursory glance of the apartment told him it wasn’t within reach where she was at if she was going to go for it at all; but her scent was being clouded with it. His eyes ran over her, and finally noticed her hand, how her thumb was rubbing her thigh. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">If he didn’t know any better, he would figure she had simply been enjoying herself in the bath and was eager to get back to it. But there was a hardness, and the towel wasn’t sitting right. He smirked before he could hold it back.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The little minx had the gun on her thigh.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He wanted to groan. She had purchased a deadly weapon, legally as there were no flags on her file, threatened him with it, and proceeded to sit there with it on her naked body. Her scent changed again, and he realized the look he was giving her. Arousal snaked through the air, teasing his nostrils even as she thumbed the top of the weapon between her thighs. He took a step towards her, then another as he gauged her reaction. Kagome had stiffened but her arousal grew stronger as one foot slipped off the stool she was sitting on. He was close enough that he reached out and cupped her cheek.. Her entire body was a board, even her face leaned away from his touch. All of this mistrust made him weary, tired.<br/>“Please Kagome. You have nothing to be afraid of. The card is real. If you have need of a friend or...” He paused, eyes flicking over her, “Other desires, we are but a call away.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Her breath hitched under him and he pulled away from her, letting his claws tickle over her cheek as he turned. He was very nearly out the door when she called softly. Her eyes were on her fingers in her lap and when she looked up it was just a coy glance.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Y’know, the tub here is actually bigger than the one I had back at my mom’s home.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru raised his thin brow.<br/>“Are you inviting us to inspect it?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“In the nude, maybe.” She laughed softly before she got somewhat serious. “And as long as Barry is within reach.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru shut the door again, locking it behind him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We had hoped there would only ever be one dangerous weapon between those sweet thighs.” He chuckled as he approached her again. One clawed finger slipped between her breasts and tugged the towel loose. She let him, leaning back on her elbows on the counter and when the cloth moved, his gaze moved heatedly over her. The thigh holster was black and stark against the lightness of her skin and sure enough, there was a Beretta M9 in the holster.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You give yourself too much credit, Sesshoumaru. I’ve had arrows that could purify you held between my knees before.” She teased.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">That damned mouth. It infuriated him and endeared him all at the same time. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Mark us corrected then.” He let his fingertips tease along her thighs, up her abdomen. One knee nudged her thighs apart gently, as his hands cradled her. In one swift movement picked her up and settled her on the counter of her kitchen, legs spread wide. He kicked the stool out of the way and guided her legs to plant her feet. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What are you doing?” She panted.<br/>One cursory glance showed glistening lips beneath trimmed and managed curls. She had been grooming herself, he noted. He let the pad of his index finger slide over the dampness of those outer lips and her legs quivered as she whimpered for him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I hate it when you torture me.” She exclaimed softly, shuddering as his finger swiped up and down over her labia. The slickness dripping down her sex said otherwise.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We doubt this.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His hand planted beside her hip on the counter as he pushed his middle finger inside of her. The hardness of the pistol on her thigh brushed his side and his cock throbbed at the scent of it all. Two quick thrusts of his hand and he easily guided another finger in with it, and before long she was quivering and panting, her head rolled back and that thick black hair beginning to pool on what was left of the small counter top behind her. As she shook, he guided her weapon clad leg over his shoulder as he pistoned his fingers into her sopping core, taking care with his claws as he rubbed the softness of his finger pads in a come-hither motion inside of her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck... Sesshoumaru... I’m so close..” Her voice was pinched with need.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then cum.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It took a few more jarring thrusts and her entire body trembled violently under him. Kagome was holding back, gritting her teeth as she came, her face crumpled for a long moment before she began to relax. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re an ass.” She whispered as she came down, starting every time his fingers lazily plunged back into her body. “Now I really do need to wash...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She cried out as he picked her up and carried her to what he assumed was her bathroom and settling her on her feet. Leaning down and checking the temperature in the jade porcelain.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You should set your weapon aside. Last we checked pistols and water do not agree.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome planted a foot on the tub, ignoring him as she lovingly, slowly removed the pistol from its holster before loosening the straps. Sesshoumaru was mesmerized by the motions, watching heatedly as she rubbed the reddened skin on the inside of her thigh. It wasn’t until she had one foot in the lukewarm water the spell had been broken. He turned the water as hot as it would go to reheat the tub before peeling out of his clothing to join her.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As per usual, we love reviews and welcome constructive criticism. The goal is always to be a better writer.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Family Dinner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She floated in and out of bliss in the tub, even if she wasn’t completely covered by the warm water. Sesshoumaru’s hands on her pussy had made sure to touch and tease every corner of her, and the silence between them was oddly comfortable. For a long while she wondered if maybe she had started dreaming, and then his fingers would find their way to a new spot that made her coo and his cock bump her backside. The demon lord had made no move to pleasure himself, even going so far as to remove her hand when she tried. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You have thinned.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His observation was met with an irritated grunt.<br/>“Just because we’ve had sex a couple of times doesn’t make you my chaperone, Sesshoumaru.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her eyes were closed as he stroked her hips with the sharp claws.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hn. We merely observed -”<br/>“I told you what happened. I’m still not completely the same as I was. Stop expecting it.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The claws on her hips had paused for a long moment before his arms circled her.<br/>“What now, then?” He inquired. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She hated him in that moment. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We wash in the tub.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You know what we meant, Kagome.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She sat up hard, leaning forward and splashing a good bit of water out of the tub.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t know, Sesshoumaru. It will never be the same.” She bit back her blame, even though it was bitter and stinging on the back of her throat. “Right now, all I want to do is lay in this tub and pretend like nothing happened and I’m not indecisive about where we stand. So for right now, we are going to wash and go from there.”<br/>Sesshoumaru let her lean back again and didn’t speak again, merely touching her in small patterns every so often changing course and direction.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He didn’t leave her apartment until the early hours of the morning. His faster method of travel allowed him to be to and from Kashiwazaki within an hour, though it was frowned upon to use it. It generally put certain low flying planes on a collision course that he was sometimes too fast to correct while on the fly. It did make fighting a war with flyers that much easier to tip the scales... All thoughts aside, Sesshoumaru was ready to be back in his quarters before work the following day. While it sounded like they had exchanged apologies, something still felt off. There was still a deep mistrust Sesshoumaru wasn’t sure was surmountable. Changing his clothes, he traveled from his personal apartments back to the tower, using the helipad door entrance to his office. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The scent of cigar smoke curled around his office the second he opened the door, making his nose sting.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How is it you manage to enjoy smoking those disgusting things with our senses..” Sesshoumaru drawled as he glanced at his father, who had taken up residence at his secretary’s desk. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I figured we’d talk. Inuyasha finally broke and told me most of what happened.” Touga paused, his nose in the air as he sniffed gently. “You’ve been with a woman... In a... bath?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He raised his cigar and his brow at the same time.<br/>“How the fuck does that work?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What do you want, old man?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga stood, taking a short draw off of the cigar and exhaling through his teeth. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He explained... some things. Though if its true, the temptation to beat the asshole out of you remains a large possibility, despite the property damage it would cause.” His fangs clicked as displeasure flourished over his features. “You tried to beat a human woman.. With all of <em>your</em> strength...?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga had slowly made his way across the marble, stalking Sesshoumaru. Once he stood face to face with his son, he tapped the ashes of the disgusting thing onto Sesshoumaru’s shoes as his tongue clicked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re a disappointment, son. Its surprising even further that Inuyasha claimed you were intending to take her as your mate. A bit extreme a jump isn’t it? To go from love to hate so quickly? What did she say to raise your wrath so?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru stood stone still. He’d already begun to put these things behind him, even going so far as to apologize to the one he’d wronged. To the best of his ability it was dancing around an apology, at least. Touga was not even a part of this, and therefore deserved no explanations; so he wouldn’t be getting one.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is in the past and not of your business.” Sesshoumaru moved to knock past his father to head for his office and was grabbed with strength he didn’t remember the old dog to have, halting him.<br/>“You’re right. It isn’t. I don’t actually give a flying fuck what you do nowadays, but something tells me this woman is something different from your previous matresses. Something ageless and sacred. In case you didn’t know, such things we are divine protectors of, and murdering sacred priestesses is the fastest way to put you on the path to insanity.” Touga’s voice was one of warning. “Boy, we have lived long enough to watch the Gods take vengeance for their sacred children in ways you’ve never seen. You are not crueler than the punishment they will shell out on her behalf if you don’t make it right.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga released him and moved for the elevator as he took another deep drag from the cigar, pausing before he pushed the button to enter.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You know the world is larger than Japan, Sesshoumaru. But the fact will remain, always. The pure protector of the Shikon no Tama has put in enough hearth ache and lifetimes protecting the damn thing she will always be part of the Gods’ divine plans. Do your job; protect the pure, or be prepared to accept the fate dealt to you otherwise.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The button pinged as the elevator came to fetch Touga.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Have a good workday, son.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru watched the doors close on the Inu No Taishou, and wondered what the old man was spouting. The cryptic messages he imparted were obnoxious and long suffering in their lessons; the last time he’d given one of those it took easily hundreds of years to truly understand. He sighed and turned back to his desk, opening the laptop to begin shuffling through paperwork and projects to fill the time.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kagome, this is Sally. I really need you to give me a call. All of the sudden you have another offer from who knows where. We need to talk about your other offers and what's going on with the hospital too. Call me, or better yet, come into the office!”</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s head dropped back as she put her keys on the counter. She had just come home from work and wasn’t excited about going back out to Sally’s Temp agency, but there was nothing for it. She kept catching conversations about her temporary status, and the last one she’d walked into sounded like they were mocking her for even trying to get a permanent spot. As summer was coming to a close and people were coming back from vacation, more and more people filling temporary positions were being let go in favor of permanent workers that carried over from the old hospital. It was only a matter of time before Kagome’s data entry position was refilled with someone else. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It was no skin off her nose though - she’d milk the hospital for all she was worth while she hashed out details of whatever Sally had to offer her, even if it meant a part time something-or-other at a convenience store. She grabbed a water from the refrigerator before changing out of her scrubs and into a pair of flowing black pants and a white tee shirt. Her inner pants holster wasn’t as hidden in such tight fitting clothing, but a washed out jean jacket helped her with the problem. She preferred wearing the gun on her back , so with a baggy enough shirt, she could get away with it. The problem was, she’d gotten smaller since coming home. Smaller clothes tended to be a little flimsier and harder to find that fit her properly while also being able to carry things. Once everything was tucked away, she picked her phone back up off her charger and headed for the agency.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Once she arrived, Sally was finishing with another client and ushered her in hastily. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay, so I don’t know who you’ve been talking to, but I just received a specific request for you. Like, they mentioned you by name and extended an offer to work with them.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Sally shuffled through her messy desk, piled with paperwork. She turned to her printer and snatched the papers, rifling through until she found the one she’d been searching for with an </span> <em> <span class="tm6">aha!</span> </em></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay, so there is a company in Kyoto that has an opening for reception slash data entry with the potential to take on the job training as a P.A. The old head of the company is offering an opening to you; specifically you.” Sally’s eyebrows wiggled at her, even as Kagome frowned.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What’s the company called?” She ventured. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Taisho Arbiters and Consulting.” Sally answered.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shook her head.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m just going to say no now.” She answered. “What was the thing about the shrines?”<br/>Sally’s lips pursed, peering at her like she’d grown a third eye, but she sat down with a sigh at her desk and moved some pages around, picking up her file from the outbox. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So it is a government project,” She stared, scanning the pages she’d put there, “where you get deployed to one of the island shrines to care for and upgrade the shrine. You’ll get a small monthly stipend that will include costs for repairs to the shrine as you request money for them.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She flipped the pages around again, looking over the consulting company’s offer again.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Seriously. You’re gonna turn down a full time, salaried position in favor of being a shrine maiden?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shrugged.<br/>“Is there a time limit on the offer from Taisho’s?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sally shook her head.<br/>“Not that I can see in the paperwork.”<br/>“Then I might reconsider. I’m pretty sure I know who extended the offer. Until then I’m still at the hospital until they say otherwise.” She gave Sally, who was fuming with frustration. “Thank you for working so hard. I don’t mean to be a bother, but trust me. I’m pretty sure I know which jobs I’m more cut out for. Give me a bit and I’ll let you know, okay?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sally waved her off and pointed towards her door.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“Get outta here, you picky Pinako. I have customers that are actually looking for a job! And here.” she shoved the paperwork towards her. “Take this and </span> <em> <span class="tm6">really</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> chew on it, Kagome.”</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, taking the papers she was handed as she made her way back to the bus stop. She took a few moments before the bus arrived to look over the numbers and gaped. The amount they were offering was completely unrealistic for having next to no prior training. What the hell was Sesshoumaru thinking? Heading back home she put him on her mental checklist of phone calls to make this week after work. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~ </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5"><br/>A week or so later she still hadn’t found the time to call about the job offers, and the hospital had her working overtime as employees in her department were burning through their off time. She walked back from the bus stop towards her apartment, stretching her arms and back as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“No time like the present, I guess.” She looked through the phone and dialed the number that was Sesshoumaru’s. It rang a few times before voice mail picked it up.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hey, I was calling about a job offer I received. I’m pretty sure it's you, there’s no way that number for the offer is real. Give me a call back... I want to talk to you about this.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She bopped the off button and saw her building in the distance. While Kagome was indeed making plenty of money from the hours she was picking up, she was still saving and buying the bare minimum when it came to groceries. Her stomach protested the idea of ramen again for dinner, but her wallet insisted they save for the future if she still hadn’t made a decision about work. As she crested the hill she noticed a strange vehicle parked in the apartment’s lot. It was a four apartment building, and she was pretty sure none of them drove anything that expensive looking. It was a foreign sedan with tinted windows. She scowled. So much for just a phone call.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she started.<br/>“That was quick...” She mumbled to herself, staring at the screen and answering. “Hey.”<br/>“Hello. Your message was just received. We do not remember extending a job offer.”<br/>“Then it isn’t your black sedan parked outside my apartment..?” Her stomach clenched. Suddenly she was pleased with herself for grabbing little Barry before leaving today. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“No, we are still at the office.” There was a long pause. “Fuck.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome brought her phone away from her ear and stared at it. Sesshoumaru had just sworn.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What’s wrong?”<br/>“We believe we know who is probably in your apartment. There is a note on our desk with your address on it. That old fool.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Who is in my apartment, Sesshoumaru?” She demanded softly as she came up the stairs to her door, which was unlocked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We believe it is our father.”<br/>Kagome’s brow furrowed and she hung up the phone before she slammed the door open, her hand on the butt of her Beretta. The smell of beef broth hit her full on, making her stomach growl loudly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Welcome Home!” Came a cheerful male voice from the kitchen. She edged into her apartment, leaving the door ajar for a quick escape if she needed it.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The man in her kitchen was fussing at the pot, stirring the broth. His long hair had been tied back, away from his face. Dressed in a common white kusode with navy hakama, he almost looked like he beloved in her kitchen. The sleeves of the kusode had been tied back as he worked.<br/>“Dinner is almost read, all the veggies are in the fridge as is the beef! Top quality, spared no expense!” He turned and had a grin on his face, flashing her fang. “Call me Touga.”<br/>He had moved to her kitchen counter, which separated the living room and kitchen in the tiny apartment, and extended his large hand. Touga towered easily a foot and some change over her. Despite how large he was, she cautiously made her way over.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What the hell are you doing in my apartment...?” She growled. Touga blinked at her animosity, but gave her a small smile.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, we’ve heard quite a lot about you from our sons, who seem very fond of you. Therefore, I decided it would be best for me to introduce myself. Call me Touga! Or Inu Papa! Inuyasha said he was coming to see you today, so I decided to make a special trip and prepare dinner! I hope you don’t mind a hot pot - it was the easiest thing to throw together at the last minute.”<br/>Kagome shook her head, balking at the demon lord who had now settled his elbows on the counter and rested his chin on his hands.<br/>“So it’s Mr. Taisho, is it? I was only gone for.. Maybe an hour! What the.... How ... Wait.” She paused and stared at him. “Inuyasha is alive?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s smile grew confused.<br/>“Of course he is. He’ll be here within the hour! May we call you Kagome?” He intoned. Kagome scowled at him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Higurashi is fine.” She answered icily. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Higurashi then. You should go freshen up before he arrives. I left a note for Sesshoumaru as well, just as soon as he digs it up from under his paperwork he’ll be here.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He was awfully chipper. She couldn’t decide if she should purify him out of the kitchen, or call the police and complain.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How the did you even get into my apartment without a key?!” She shouted.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why, your lovely elderly neighbor. I let her know we were having family dinner and she opened the door with your spare key!” He sighed. “Such a sweet little lady - gave me a few herbs for the beef broth we’re using for the hot pot tonight!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome rubbed her temples, beating down the panic. Surely, Sesshoumaru was on his way to collect his delinquent father. But that wasn’t what gave her pause about pushing the old dog general out the door. Inuyasha had spoken very little of his father back in the day, and not much of it was positive. Considering his comments, Touga presented to be a bit of a goofy dad type. If he and Inuyasha were on speaking terms, and Inuyasha was on his way to her apartment, perhaps it would be a risk worth taking to let him play chef in her kitchen.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fine. I’m keeping all the leftovers and you aren’t leaving the kitchen. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She spun on her heel and headed for her bathroom. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, and constructive criticism is always welcome - the goal is always to be a better writer.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Decisions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome knew she didn’t have time for a bath, and instead opted for a quick shower. She was in long enough to wash her hair and body. Once she was finished, she shut the water off, wringing her hair out before swiping the shower curtain back to grab her towel. Sesshoumaru was leaned against the door of the bathroom. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome yelped in surprise, covering herself with the curtain.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What the fuck is wrong with you dog demons?!” She screeched. “Can I not get one second of privacy?!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru smirked.<br/>“Touga was snooping around the door. We stopped him.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Kagome glared.<br/>“Get. OUT!” She pointed at the door. He tilted his head, but opened the door and stepped out. Kagome willed her heartbeat to slow as she looked around the bathroom as though another of the dog demon family were to pop out of anywhere.<br/>“Gahd... Its like they take shifts trying to annoy me!” She reached for her towel and wrapped it around her body, drying before she stepped out of the shower. She donned a pair of jeans and black tee shirt, carefully tucking it so the butt of the Beretta didn’t show. She hesitated before putting the holster on originally, feeling like maybe if Inuyasha was going to be here, she wouldn’t need it. Then the old adage, </span> <em> <span class="tm6">better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it</span> </em> <span class="tm5">, hit her and she decided to tuck it away under one of her larger tee shirts.</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Now that she was paying attention, she could hear the shuffle of footsteps and yelling. How had she not heard this ruckus while she was in the shower before? She burst from the bathroom.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re all being rude to my neighbors! Pipe down would you?!” She yelled from the door frame.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">All three men in her living room and kitchen paused, turning to look at her. Sesshoumaru had sat at one of the stools at the living room side of the counter. Touga was still in the kitchen, but appeared to be waving a large wooden spoon at the last man in the room. Inuyasha blinked at her. His face had aged, making him appear at least around forty or fifty, but he still had youthful eyes and a full head of white hair. His ears looked a little odd on his aged body, but he was still as adorable as she remembered, wearing a pair of tighter jeans and a bright red tee with some kind of anime print on it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kagome..?” Even his voice had deepened with age, but she could still hear the rasp she remembered. Tears stung the back of her eyes and she fought not to let them fall as Inuyasha strode over and wrapped her in a crushing hug that left her laughing and struggling to breath. She wriggled until she could do the same, burying her head in her best friend’s neck. Even his smell was the same. They stayed like that for a long moment, wrapped up together until Touga’s voice snapped them out of it.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Dinner’s ready! Come on you two, break it up!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome swiped at her face before she looked back up. It looked like even Inuyasha was fighting emotion. Instead of tears, he gave her a toothy, beaming smile.<br/>“Lets eat, skinny!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome scowled.<br/>“What’s with you guys... I’m fine! I’m not skinny.” She argued as she came around to sit across from Inuyasha. She looked down at her counter, where a perfectly made hot pot with plenty of vegetables and sliced beef. Then she noticed her plastic wares were not on the table. Frowning she peered at Touga.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Where did you get this stuff?”<br/>Touga glanced over, holding his bowl and chopsticks and grinned again at her.<br/>“Well the plastic ware look a little raggedy so I threw it away -” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You what?! Those were my dishes!” She flustered. If not for how expensive the bowl on the table looked, she would have given in to the temptation to throw one at his idiot head.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I replaced them with these! Trust me - like dinner, no expense was spared. Please, sit, enjoy.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome huffed but sat beside the large demon lord. Sesshoumaru joined them, sitting across from Touga as he picked up one of the bowls and served himself. Everyone had started to eat, and even with Kagome sore at losing her hard earned dishes, her stomach was pleased with what she was eating for once.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not ramen.. So good!” She hummed to herself with a look of bliss as she chewed a piece of deliciously satisfying beef. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Upon inspection of your cupboards for dishes I noticed all you’ve been eating is ramen, Higurashi.” Touga noted, eating a piece of bokchoy. She glanced at him and swallowed her food.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m saving money. Sounds like the hospital is getting ready to replace me with someone from the old building. One more month and the old one gets shut down completely and demolished.” She sighed, picking up another piece of sliced beef. There was just so much of it, she could have cried for joy. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What about you, Inuyasha. Tell me what you’ve been up to!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha slurped through his own mouthful of mushrooms and beef before flashing her a grin.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I work for these two meat heads as a publicist of sorts, and consultation. With our combined experience, we are experts in a fair number of things.” He dunked another few pieces in the beef broth. “I also have two girls, ages twelve and fifteen. Shina doesn’t seem to need her pops anymore, she’s too grown!” He mimicked his daughters voice. “At least Aya doesn’t mind papa’s need for snuggles!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome smiled softly, trying not to be jealous.<br/>“So you married. What’s she like?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha stilled, his grin disappearing. “She died in childbirth with Aya. Some kind of bleeding problem after she delivered...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I see... I’m so sorry, Inuyasha. I didn’t mean...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He waved her off.<br/>“Sometimes bad things happen. I try not to let it bother me, or it will bother the girls. You’ll have to meet them sometime. Besides...” His eyes softened as he looked down at his bowl. “Yuna wouldn’t have wanted me to raise the girls looking all sad. She was never that kind of person. I promised her I’d raise them to be smart, sweet and kind just like her..”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">So he was unattached, but had his girls. It suited him, she felt. She could see him raising two rowdy girls. Her heart welled with deep love for him, and she looked away before it found its way to her face. Grabbing a few more vegetables she ate quietly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What about you Kagome. What are you doing these days?” Inuyasha asked, waiting for his beef and veggies to cook through. Kagome shrugged.<br/>“I recently came into a job offer for Shrine Keeper. Some kind of project that’s being funded by the Ministry of Agriculture to start restoring shrines on the outlying islands. I’m considering it if I can’t stay with the hospital.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha’s mouth was stuffed when he started talking.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Mfrrnnnnrrmmr!” He started.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Inuyasha.” Kagome sighed. He chewed quickly and gulped.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I think I know the one you’re - OW!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He rubbed his forehead and glared at Sesshoumaru, who was pulling some of the beef out of the pot. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not all projects need be discussed here.” He intoned softly. A large red welt from where Inuyasha had been struck with what appeared to be the holder for their chopsticks and he glared at Sesshoumaru before proceeding defiantly.<br/>“We have a project we recently submitted information to the Ministry for that matches that to a tee. Sounds like you were one of the candidates selected.” He paused. “But I don’t remember seeing your profile card in the selectees file...?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha and Kagome both looked over at Sesshoumaru. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, what about it boss?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru barely looked up from his meal, giving them nothing to go on but a </span> <em> <span class="tm6">hn.</span> </em></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And I suppose you don’t know anything about the secretary position that was offered by what I’m assuming is your firm either, do you?” Kagome’s tone was accusatory as she straightened in her seat, setting her bowl down. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Actually, he does not. That offer was from me.” Touga interjected, grabbing some noodles from the pot. Kagome rubbed her temples.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“All three of your are meddlesome idiots.” She mumbled before seeing Inuyasha’s look of innocent confusion. “I take it back. Inuyasha has not in rare form so far.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It brought back a seedling of panic to her belly. The last thing she wanted was to have her life put on hold by a brood of dog demons again, and being held captive by a job they had their hands on seemed like a bad idea, even if it were temporary.<br/>Sitting here in her hijacked kitchen, using dishes that had been purchased for her by one of the dog demons, eating a meal provided by them suddenly unsettled her stomach and she set her bowl aside. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’ve been considering the secretary position, but I believe it would need to come with certain boundaries depending on who’s secretary I landed on.” She glanced around. “Where was the position needing to be filled?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh, Inuyasha scared off Sesshoumaru’s little American secretary doing god knows what to her. You’d be filling her position.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome snorted.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yeah, boundaries would have to be set.” It had been a week or so, but she remembered the counter incident. Truthfully, Kagome was intending to have this conversation with Sesshoumaru personally. Now that the speculation had been clarified, dragging all three of them into it seemed a little crass, but it still needed to be done, regardless of their audience. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why boundaries? You sounded like you were becoming a couple again, based on what I’ve heard between the two boys!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He really was nosy... </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This is a conversation best saved for another time, when there isn’t a snoopy dog in our business.” She groused. She heard Sesshoumaru hum in agreement and they abandoned the topic. Once dinner was finished and leftovers put away in more new dishes Kagome was being given for hosting what Touga insisted was ‘Such a lovely intimate family dinner we don’t get to do anymore!’, Inuyasha and Touga had handed her contact information. A squeeze from Inuyasha and a promise for a future beach day, and he was gone. Touga managed to sneak in a forehead kiss before he handed her a card, telling her to call anytime. He winked and gave her waggled eyebrows that reminded her suspiciously of Kouga when he had been trying to sway Kagome over to the wolf side. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She was walking Sesshoumaru down the stairs and to the back garden.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Shall we speak of boundaries?” He drawled, poking through the sunflowers that were slowly coming to an end in the backyard. “It sounds as serious. We hate having personal conversations on the phone, and it would be a wasted trip otherwise.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You do get right to the point, don’t you?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hn. Time is valuable, particularly to those who have limits. Tell us,” he glanced over his shoulder, pulling a petal off of the dying flower, “What boundaries were you intending to set?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His intense interest in her was something she wasn’t used to anymore. It made her skin jump when he was so attentive. She circled to the faded old metal patio furniture, sitting on the only one with a cushion.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I believe you and I should stop seeing one another...” She paused and watched for his reaction. “Intimately. No sex, no relationship except a professional one.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His hand was still fiddling with the decaying yellow petals, but the air around him seemed to be stilling as he listened. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It hasn’t done us much good in the past; and the only thing its been good for now is still based on what happened back then. This isn’t going anywhere but backwards.” She said quietly. The sunflower crunched dryly under his fisted hand as he turned, ripping its head from the stalk.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Is that all?” His tone was dry, face blank, but his hand tightened around the flower’s head. Kagome’s mouth felt sticky and dry. There was palpable anger there. She could feel it in him, bubbling with his youki. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You don’t agree it would be a bad idea to be sleeping together while I worked for you...?” There was a hint of sarcasm she couldn’t hide. “It never works out well for those involved.”<br/>“We won’t argue. But know we can smell a vulgar lie when it comes out of your mouth.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome stood, brows furrowed and opening her mouth to protest when he appeared before her suddenly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You sat for dinner, saw the half-breed, and not once did we sense anything amiss until you were alone with us.” He growled. “The smell of your arousal gives you away. Hide it behind whatever you want; jeans, gun oil. Nothing is secret from us.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She swallowed, frustration setting in and pointed her finger at him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This. This is exactly why its a bad idea. You’re already angry with me, and I haven’t said no to the job, just no-” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“To us.” His presence had moved even closer, trying to close the gap between them. She stumbled back towards the apartment.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“To what we offer you.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her back pressed the apartment’s stucco walls, hand going behind her to rest on the butt of the Beretta.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“To being with us and rekindling what we had.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She could feel her power begin to well at the danger she felt, and it sparked at her fingertips against the house.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Rekindle what?” She demanded softly. “You can’t give me what I want. You’ve made it clear.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And what do you want, priestess?”<br/>She flinched, but met his eyes with fierceness she hoped would reach him.<br/>“I need love. And you just... Don’t have it in you. You can’t give me that.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She felt his hands on her thighs as he hitched her up and pushed her into the wall. She yelped with pain when the movement trapped her hand and crushed the hard steel of the gun into her back and hand.<br/>“Stop -” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He found the sweet spot on her neck. Dammit... He remembered. She swallowed hard and pushed her free hand against his chest, zapping him with a mere spark. He pressed harder and lavished her throat with licks and nips. It was almost irresistible, and she was panting in an effort to push all those old emotions in check. She pushed her hand harder, pleading softly as his hands massaged the muscle of her bottom. Kagome wanted to melt and give in. Her heart sank slowly as her mind kept stopping him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why can’t this be enough, Kagome?” He rasped against her throat, stilling for a moment. He must have felt her drawing more power into her hand and paused.<br/>“I don’t know.” Her throat was tight. “It just isn’t for me anymore, Sesshoumaru. I need more than just this.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She heard his fist hit the side of the house, cracking one of the siding pieces before he pulled away for a moment, assessing her and unhanding her entirely. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fine.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He smoothed his shirt out and pulled his hair back behind him.<br/>“Consider the offer void - we were unaware it was sent.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She watched him leave with a coolness she only remembered in memories, disappearing into his orb-like state and leaving. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s phone call with Abe was short and curt. No more offers were to leave that office without his final word. Any replacement would be interviewed by him alone. He pushed down the cold sting of rejection, and piled work on top of it. If Kagome was done with him, fine. He had better things to do. He pushed the speed dial of his phone.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Abe, you’ll be temporarily moved to this position while we find a replacement. If they are not as capable as you, do not hire them.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But Lord -” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He hung the phone up, accepting a call from a new potential client. With demons becoming more and more normalized, he had provinces working in tandem to help integrate them into society as the came down from the mountains and off the islands. There was plenty still to be done. Enough to run out the timer of her lifetime. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always, reviews are appreciated and constructive criticism is welcome. Bonus chapter for today as we've been working hard to get to the fun parts on this.<br/>Thank you for Reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Options</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mind you, this is absolutely a Kagome/Sesshoumaru pairing. We just found a pleasant opportunity for Inu Papa and couldn't resist taking it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome was eyeing the sky as it darkened on her way home from a half-shift at the hospital. A sudden surge in paperwork as it was exported from an old system to a new system made for a long day sitting and staring at screens and papers. Her eyes were about to jump out of her skull on strike. Somehow, it managed to be both hot and wet today. The mug was nothing to joke about and her scrubs were not helping relieve the damp heat. Fanning the top, she adjusted her heavy side bag and trudged on. After her shift she’d stopped by the store to grab some extra groceries. There was a multitude now of vegetables in her fridge, and even a week later they were not completely gone.<br/>It had been so nice to eat fresh food with her ramen, and as it ran low she realized how much she missed buying fresh food. For now it was an expense she was willing to foot. She had enough excess she felt comfortable buying a bit of a treat. Thunder rolled in the distance and her ears were starting to ache.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“There must be a storm front rolling in..” She sighed. “Of all days.. They said it was going to be sunny today. I didn’t grab my umbrella. And I chose to walk... Suck..”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She smacked her forehead, feeling dumb for not preparing. A breeze kicked up and blew some of the humidity away and she sighed. Glancing to the road, she noticed a black sedan pulling up behind her and slowing as it matched her pace. She started when she saw golden eyes staring at her from the unfurling window, then sighed with relief when it turned out to be Touga.<br/>“What in the world are you doing back in Kashiwazaki?” She implored. He gave her a toothy grin.<br/>“Why, to visit my favorite priestess of course, Miss Higurashi!” Kagome’s eyes rolled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Alright, you can call me Kagome... Hearing you call me Higurashi is clunky and reminds me too much of being at work. Why are you visiting, Mr. Taisho?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We wanted to take you to out for tea and a chat. Are you up for it? Perhaps before the rain sets in?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s mouth puckered and glancing up told her for sure she was going to get doused if she didn’t find a ride home. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay. But its your treat!” She warned, moving aside as he opened the door for her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“On my honor, no expense to be spared for one so fair as you, Kagome.” He said solemnly, crossing his heart as he moved to the opposite end of the back seat. They sat in silence until the car came to a stop at one of the closer local cafes. They managed to make it into the store just before the rain poured from the sky, putting their order in and moving to sit at an empty table in the corner of the cafe. Once they were settled, Kagome studied the demon before her. He bore the perfect blend of both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, one brilliant periwinkle on both sides of his face. His face was agelessly youthful, and if Kagome stared for too long, he was just as handsome as both of his boys put together. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So, I feel like there is this ulterior motive you have for taking me out for tea.” Kagome ventured slowly. Touga snapped his fingers in a show of feigned frustration. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Damn, you found me out. Too smart for me, little priestess.” Touga chuckled, and leaned on the table. “Actually, I was hoping you would reconsider the office job.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome frowned at him.<br/>“Your son rescinded the offer before he left.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga joined her in her befuddlement, but waved her away.<br/>“Don’t worry about that hot-headed fool. Who I employ in my own office is up to my discretion, especially if he’s going to steal away my own secretary for his personal use.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome laughed.<br/>“I would, Mr. Taisho -”<br/>“Inu Papa. I insist, dear.” He interrupted. She flushed at his charming grin as he said it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Uh... Okay... Inu Papa..?” She continued. “I would but it sounds like its just not gonna be a good idea with Sesshoumaru in the picture.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Speaking of my idiot older son..” Touga straightened, and he was suddenly not the goofy lovable father figure he looked before; the intimidating Dog Demon General made her feel small on her side of the table. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We do have certain matters we wanted to discuss..” Kagome was acutely aware of his piercing gaze now. “There were things Inuyasha told me about your shared past. As we were collecting information for ensuring you were a qualified candidate for the shrine work, it was being consistently updated for a fire arm. We also noticed it at the dinner table the other night. One of the pictures...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She knew where he was headed. Her heart was tired of explaining that old photo, but here she was again.<br/>“It was clearly an older photo of you. However it was around ten years old. Apparently that was the time in the current time line you came back to what is you present. I am assuming this is what the boys fought over recently.” Touga continued. “We had a chat with your mother, as it was part of the screening process. She told us a bit more about what happened, and the medical expenses that came with a fractured cheek bone.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He huffed.<br/>“She was insistent on an apology from my son for his damages....”<br/>Kagome’s gaze fell to the rain, now coming down in angry sheets outside. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sesshoumaru doesn’t apologize for anything. And if he does, its roundabout and still somehow your fault.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s brow raised as his face hid some mirth so he wasn’t outright laughing at his son.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So you do know Sesshoumaru intimately.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Kagome gave him a side eye that said </span> <em> <span class="tm6">you don’t even know the half of it</span> </em> <span class="tm5">. The waitress brewing their tea brought them disposable cups and a slice of honeyed sponge cake, blushing when Touga’s thumb brushed her pulse. Kagome held back a smirk. Like father like son, apparently. Kagome picked up a piece of the cake and popped it in her mouth.<br/>“Believe it or not, Inu Papa, Sesshoumaru already kinda did that.” She said softly, sipping the black tea to wash the cake down. “Not in so many words, but.. The message was clear.”</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga nodded in affirmation, and for a long while, they both sat and waited the storm out. Once it began to drizzle a bit, they were escorted from the cafe back to the sedan by the driver, who had an umbrella. It was still unusually quiet in the car as they drove the rest of the way back to her apartment, and when the pulled up, Kagome was stopped when she moved to get out of the car by a Touga’s hand over hers.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kagome...” He started. “His mistakes are as much ours. It damages our honor when one acts below the standard to which we intended to raise the boy. Please, accept our deepest apologies. And allow us to help repay the debt. The job is still yours, and will remain empty until you make a decision.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She smiled at the General, and patted his hand. “Don’t worry. Its one of those things that's in the past now. I have closure now I didn’t get years ago, and for me, thats a huge silver lining in all of this mess. I’ll reconsider, but...” She hesitated. Touga’s brows furrowed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do you really fear him still so much?” He queried, searching her. She shrugged as she pulled her bag over her shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“To be honest, this Sesshoumaru isn’t the old Sesshoumaru. I don’t really know him anymore, and so I couldn’t tell you.” She huffed. “He did leave a couple of broken slats on the house when he left last time, so I genuinely don’t know where he stands. And working with him... I don’t know.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s sigh was long and slow, but he nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I suppose I understand the logic.” His eyes narrowed. “Know though, you need not fear him so long as we are around, Kagome. If you need anything at all.. Do not hesitate to make it known.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She gave him a genuine smile.<br/>“Well, thank you for the tea and cake, Inu Papa.” She teased. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga kissed the back of her hand slowly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Any time, Kagome. We await your decision.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He knocked on the window and Kagome’s door opened for her. She clambered out, nearly tripping over her own feet before she blushed and waved, watching the car back down the driveway before entering the road. Staring at his card and after his car, she couldn’t help the sudden flare of warmth that fluttered through her chest and farther down. Pursing her lips and banishing any further thoughts of dog demons, she headed for her apartment. She had too much to sort through to worry about anyone else but herself right now.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s month was far more productive with Abe as his assistant. Occasionally she would call down to check on the old demon, but she was never long. Things went completely smoothly, and as it stood with the Ministry, they had set a deadline for the following spring to have at least three groups prepared to leave for four separate shrines on four separate islands. One on Sado, one on Yoki, one on Tanega, and another on Yaku. For some reason, the Ministry had skipped over the demonic islands completely. Something to do with gauging the danger by supplying demons to the current human shrines to see how they would react to one another’s presence. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It was also in the contract that was being negotiated by Inuyasha and Touga that the humans being approved for the trial period would be required to sign an official contract locking them into the position for a period of time yet to be determined. Sesshoumaru was standing at his desk. Somehow, sitting felt lazy and he hated it. A desk for him to stand and type at was in the process of being commissioned. He was shuffling through papers instead, trying to consider time periods, how much could be done, and which individuals he was seriously considering for the positions. So far, he was landing on mostly men who would be able to do as much of the heavy lifting as possible. There were four that had been chosen, and it was more just a matter of coming up with the proper contracts. They had by the end of November to complete something and have it turned in with all the appropriate contracts signed by each individual. It was a logistical pain in the ass that was turning into mountains of red tape and paperwork.<br/>Surely they had middlemen for this bullshit... </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru ran a hand through his silver hair as he rolled up the sleeves of his silk gray business shirt and loosened its matching tie a touch. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“My Lord, your father -” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not now.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But you said - ” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not. Now.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru hadn’t even bothered to look at the charming, black-haired homeland beauty as she poked her head into the office. The woman was also surprisingly tenacious, and had not nearly enough time for his temper. She flung the door open, posture wide and confronting in her strappy black stilettos, gray pencil skirt and white button up business shirt. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I was told all third floor hires would not be approved until they passed for your approval. By the Gods, I will not have you tell me I’m not doing my job when they come up tomorrow and you find out bad news.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru finally looked up at her.<br/>“Bad news..?” He lifted a brow. She folded one arm under her ample bosom as she pushed her glasses up.<br/>“Your father hired the woman you put on the no-hire list.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru froze. He didn’t hear so much as felt his claws dig deep, acid laced divots into the white marble of his desk. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He what...?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Higurashi Kagome was hired and now has an apartment locally paid for by your father. He appropriated funds somehow and had her moved out of Kashiwazaki to Kyoto in the middle of July. While you were in Tokyo speaking with the Minister of Agriculture with Myoga.” Every additional detail pushed his fingers farther through the desk, his hair curtaining the rage building. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Leave, Abe.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She repositioned her glasses.<br/>“I have one last little thing... Just, wait until I’m out of the room to throw your desk.” She paused, staring blankly at him. “She’ll be with him tomorrow training as a PA for him, taking notes for the Shrine meeting.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">With that, she bowed and backed out of the room, shutting the door quickly and quietly. Sesshoumaru could feel his eyes shifting and his entire body flaring youki as he struggled to contain the straight rage he felt towards his prying father. With a roar, his fingers melted through the desk, giving him the perfect hand hold to grab it and smash the marble to the floor, breaking the desk into a dozen pieces and sending his laptop flying into a corner. His destruction didn’t stop with the desk as he ravaged the office, paperwork and glass flying like a bomb had exploded. Once he collected himself enough to step out of his office, he took a deep breath and opened the door.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Have housekeeping up to clean up the damages, send the computer to be repaired, and replace the desk. We will be out of the office for the rest of the afternoon.” He ground out, loosening his silver tie and throwing it to the floor. His craving for chaos had not nearly been satisfied.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sally had been all too pleased to pull her files permanently from the temp agency when Kagome told her she had accepted the position at Taisho Consulting, and she had celebrated with the woman by buying her a bottle of cheap champagne as they faxed the hospital her notice. Accepting Touga’s offer had come with stipulations he was more than happy to accommodate. To further hit her jackpot, he had also offered her a sizable starting bonus and to cover moving costs. She had attempted to argue with the dog demon general, but he simply wouldn’t take no for an answer.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The money we have accumulated makes this a teardrop in the ocean of wealth we have collected over a lifetime. Consider it penance for my unruly son, and take it. There are no strings here, Kagome.” His tone and stature left no more room for any argument, so Kagome had stopped trying. Instead, the second she started she became a careful study of what he needed, and threw herself into learning the job demands that came with data entry. She was pleased to find it wasn’t so different from the hospital and was easily rolling with the linguistics that came with writing contracts. Watching for liabilities and loopholes via word play was an interesting challenge, and she was enjoying being able to learn something beyond doctor jargon.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The week prior, Touga had asked if she felt she was ready to step into the role of PA, as he was having trouble keeping his affairs in order while dealing with the outflow of paperwork coming from Sesshoumaru’s desk. She had agreed, and was currently realizing that as her phone buzzed a billion times it would be best to put in a request for a device specifically for keeping a calendar of events and notes for Touga’s life. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Godammit, when does that man have a single second to himself?!” She groused, fiddling with the phone while she sat in her new living room in her pajamas. “He knows humans have to sleep too, right?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The new apartment was smaller than her old one, but still had some of the same pieces she loved. A bathtub was a must, and Touga hadn’t disappointed. Because of who he was, and his connections, he had dug at her insistence to keep the cost down and found the perfect place within biking range of the office. The bus was only a few minutes, and as it happened, Touga preferred picking her up on his way to work from his own penthouse in another Taisho owned building so they could review his day before getting to the third floor. A smallish kitchen, spacious bathroom, one bedroom with a closet, and a small living room. She still had the dishes he had insisted she keep from dinner at her old apartment, and while the apartment had recently been refurbished, she had chosen to keep a few of her old comfort pieces, like the recliner and coffee table that looked out of place in a building so new. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">One of the conditions of her accepting the job was a request to stay off whatever floor Sesshoumaru was on. She figured it was a large enough company, and so long as she could avoid him, she’d be fine. Her phone vibrated as a call from Touga came in.<br/>“Hey, Inu Papa. What can I do for you?”<br/>“The meeting tomorrow is not one you’ll need to be present for. Its up on the top floor, and I’m pretty certain Sesshoumaru will be heading up. Notes will be sent from Ansatsu, who will be recording the meeting.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sure thing, boss. Sounds like I’m going to be pleasantly bored tomorrow.” She teased. “No generals to mess with my work!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She could hear him give a playful growl on the phone.<br/>“Do not think we won’t have plenty of work for you sitting in mountains on your desk when you get there in the morning. I will also be requiring my coffee and breakfast, if you would be so kind.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Of course. Anything else you need?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not that we are aware of at this time.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well before you go, I do need to put a request in for a phone that isn’t mine so I can keep better track of your appointments, meetings, and get documents to and from the computer. With the way this thing is going off, I can’t keep track of anything.”<br/>“Very well. We’ll consult tech tomorrow and have something whipped up after the meeting tomorrow.”<br/>“Thank you, Papa!” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He chuckled.<br/>“Of course, Kagome.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They hung up at the same time and she padded over to the kitchen, checking her fridge for sausage and eggs. Touga tended to eat more than she had ever seen Sesshoumaru in the lifetime she’d known him. And breakfast was black tea, an English muffin with cheese, a fried egg, and a sausage patty; oddly American. Once she was satisfied, she headed back to the recliner in the living room, looking over some files Touga had allowed her to bring home. She was reading through the most recent copy of one of the contract drafts for the Harmony Shrine project, as they were officially calling it, when a knock came at the door. Kagome frowned, replacing the documents in the worn manila folder before approaching the door and looking through the peephole. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">On the other side was Inuyasha holding flowers and bags in one hand and his younger daughter’s hand in the other. Kagome’s heart jumped. She hadn’t met his children yet, and her nerves jumped around as she called out to them.<br/>“Give me a second, I gotta clean work up really quick!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She scrambled to pull the files together off her ugly brown coffee table and put them on the kitchen counter. She ran to the bathroom, fiddled with her bangs and made sure her black tank top didn’t have anything on it before she ran back to the door and unlocked it, opening the door to a grinning half demon. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The daughter holding his hand had her black hair in a messy pony tail, and was a stringy little preteen who looked flushed with excitement. The older girl standing in the back looked as though she had anywhere else to be, with headphones over her very human ears and a large bubble blowing from her mouth. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hey, Inuyasha! These must be the girls! Come in!” She said breathlessly with a tight smile. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Heya Kagome!” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He ushered the girls in and handed Kagome the flowers. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“These are for you! The girls picked them out - ” He glanced back at his older daughter and rolled his eyes. “Well... Ayame picked them out. Shinamari just happened to be there. We also brought dinner to warm the house!” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome laughed at the annoyed look the teen threw her father’s way before she went back to tapping on her phone. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Thank you, they are very pretty.” Kagome said, taking them to the kitchen and finding the largest glass she could find, putting them in water. “And lucky for you, I forgot to eat dinner tonight, so I’m glad you brought something. I’ll get some plates.”<br/>“We heard you took that job dad offered you.” Inuyasha took a seat on the recliner, looking around the sparsely furnished apartment. “I didn’t know you’d already moved out here, let alone that you were hired until today.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome brought the large bags of what appeared to be Chinese food and began putting everything on the counter, pulling plates and utensils out as she served herself.<br/>“I have juice and water in the fridge. I didn’t realize it was such a mum thing.” Kagome commented offhandedly. Inuyasha rose and grabbed a plate, steering his daughters to the food. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yeah, I heard about it today from Abe. She found the paperwork when she went down to the third floor to talk to dad about something, and saw you. Apparently, the top floor now needs to replace a computer, a desk, and all its furnishings.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome looked up from the noodles she was putting on her plate. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What?”<br/>Inuyasha laughed.<br/>“Right? Yeah, he threw a fit, completely destroyed his office and left for the day. He’s supposed to lead this meeting tomorrow, but Abe hasn’t been able to get ahold of him since he left. Now we don’t know if the meeting is still on because the commander in chief has gone AWOL.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shook her head.<br/>“Touga pushed his offer through and insisted. I told him what it would take to get me on staff, and he was fine with all of it. Its also in black and white, so unless I’ve done something worth getting me fired I’m there until I decide not to be.” She shrugged. “Until then, his temper isn’t my problem anymore.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She turned and sat at the coffee table, patting the spot next to her for Ayame to sit beside her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hi Ayame! I used to have a friend named Ayame! She was the prettiest wolf demon in her tribe. You’re prettier by far!” Kagome cooed, making the girl laugh.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“No way! I know who you’re talking about, and she is so pretty!” Aya insisted. “She’s super nice and she has a really cute son I like.” The girl flushed. Kagome smiled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well don’t tell her I said you were prettier. Fairly sure she’d come and murder me in my sleep.” Kagome said cheerfully, tapping the girls nose.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So what exactly happened between you two after we left? Sesshoumaru’s not talkative nowadays by any stretch, but damn. I can’t get a fu-fricking thing out of him lately.” He said, correcting himself when his older daughter’s head shot up, eyes narrowing. Kagome watched the hilarious interaction between them and held back a snigger. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“As far as he goes, I was trying to tell Sesshoumaru I would consider the position under the condition we weren’t sleeping together anymore. He..” She remembered the crack she’d paid to fix before she left the old apartment and winced. “Didn’t really take it all that well.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Inuyasha gave her a silent </span> <em> <span class="tm6">ohhh</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> before settling back in the recliner he’d been sitting at with his plate piled with noodles.</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So what are you doing at the office?” He asked, stuffing a large serving of noodles and beef in his mouth. Kagome chuckled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Mostly following Touga around and learning how to word contracts. He has me stepping up to fill the PA role his last secretary left blank.”<br/>Inuyasha frowned through his noodle face, slurping them all into his mouth and swallowing before he spoke again.<br/>“But Abe is still handling a lot of his stuff... Or so I thought.” He scratched his chin with his chopsticks.<br/>“Quit that! That’s been in your mouth, Inuyasha!” She scolded. Inuyasha’s older child snickered as Inuyasha pouted at Kagome, the first smile she saw on the girls face since she walked into her apartment. Kagome was beginning to see a certain parallel between herself and Souta. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“Well, as it is, I’m glad you’re in town. We live a little ways outside the main town, more in the greener part of Kyoto and its a bit of a drive. I’m glad we don’t have to fly all the way out to Kashiwazaki to see you though, maybe now we can take that beach trip I was talking about. Maybe I could even con you into babysitting?” Inuyasha’s eyebrows waggled. </span><br/>Kagome chewed on her food before giving him a pondering look.<br/>“Whatever for?”</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha blinked at her, then fumbled before his older daughter spoke up.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Dad has a bunch of girls he’s dating and wants to dump us on someone other than the nanny, who is fed up with his lecherous ways.” Shinamari said absently, not looking up from her phone. Her eyebrow ticked a touch though, and Kagome could tell it was a soft spot for the girl. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well... Let me get a little more worn into my PA role and we can talk girls night in sometime.” She gave Inuyasha a warning glare. “But don’t you start treating me like a nanny, you jackass. I don’t even have time to do that. Even if I think your girls are probably smart enough to take care of themselves.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Everyone laughed except Inuyasha, who immediately began to protest too loud, promptly making Kagome throw the nearest rolled up piece of paper at his head and telling him to quiet down. Kagome grinned to herself. Her apartment suddenly felt a little more homey. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are lovely and welcome, as is constructive criticism. The goal will always to be a better writer.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Frustration</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Be warned - This fiction is rated for Explicit content, and you're about to read some.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru had demolished land in the wilds of Russia, ripping trees out of the ground and killing anything that had gotten in his way. So far, he had consumed a heard of elk, a polar bear, burned three houses in the middle of nowhere, and completely demolished a forest. The cold was doing nothing to temper his irritation, and when he realized that murder and destruction were not helping with his frustrations, he returned to his apartment and phoned Abe, demanding in the middle of the night she come. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He had ripped the skirt off the woman the second she entered, even as she laid down ground rules, and picked her up before he buried himself. The woman was thick, juicy, delicious. Bending her over the couch on his receiving room his fingers sank into the flesh of her hips, and the way her ass bounced with the ferocity of his thrusts whetted his appetite for sex. She was gripping his wrist desperately after the first ten minutes, making a pained face as she took the punishment that was intended for another. In his mind, it was Kagome kneeling, legs spread wide with her juices running down the inside of her thighs taking all of his rage. His left hand grabbed her thick black hair, jerking her head back forcefully before clawing down her back. Ansatsu screamed as the marks began to bleed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru slowed just long enough to bathe the marks with his tongue. He growled, loud enough for Abe to start beneath him, clenching around him. He pumped harder, not caring that he was going to leave her bloodied and bruised by the end of this. Abe’s thick black hair was wrapped around his fingers again, hauling her up again bowing her back painfully. The sting of salt hit his nose, and he could tell she was crying. He roared, thrusting with the intent to finish. All of these elements, the scents surrounding him. Sesshoumaru’s hips moved frantically, covering her back with his chest and when it was apparent he wasn’t going to release, he threw her away from him and walked naked to the kitchen, leaving her on the sofa as he ran on hand through his hair. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Carnage, chaos, lust. Even his body betrayed him, cock throbbing as he fisted over it and leaned towards the black marble of his kitchen island. Reaching back in his memories, he pulled one where Kagome was under him, reaching for his stripes, gently touching him. When that wasn’t enough to throw him over, he pulled another memory of her riding his cock in the middle of an open field while the stars behind her shot through the sky in the most ethereal view he’d ever seen. She had wanted to watch the stars, and they had gotten carried away. They both watched the stars, and when Kagome came, she was breathless and beautiful in the darkness of the night. The feeling, the memory pushed him over the edge finally and he gasped, jerking his hips into his hands. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ansatsu walked in, still in her heels and the rest of her garb looking worse for wear. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What the hell was that?” She demanded angrily. Sesshoumaru didn’t answer, merely stared at the counter for a long time before he turned and eyed her. She was still angry. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Go wash in the shower. We will join you in a moment.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She studied him for an agonizing moment before she turned and went for his bedroom. When she was gone, Sesshoumaru slid down the island and sat on the floor in the darkness of his kitchen, holding his head in his hands. This frustration he was feeling was not going away. Nothing would relieve the stress, and Touga’s deliberate dig had finally pushed him past his point of tolerance. Perhaps, he decided, it was time to take a bit of time off. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He heard the shower hiss to life and rose, padding to the bedroom and into the bathroom where Ansatsu had undressed and walked in to the large river rock shower. He joined her, stroking her sides before resting his cheek on the top of her head. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t know what has you acting like an asshole...” She said softly, moving out from under him and turning to look him in the eye, blue eyes still red-rimmed. She hissed at the warm water over her back.<br/>“But I swear to god, Sesshoumaru. If you ever treat me like your emotional punching bag again, I’m coming for your company. Don’t make it personal ever again. That’s not the agreement between us. I fully expect a large bonus for the marks on my back, and scar treatment so this doesn’t stay.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru merely turned her back around and running his claws through her wet hair to begin the process of washing it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You have our word. This will never happen again.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">*</p><p class="Normal"> <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru had changed the nature of the meeting, and announced he was taking time to recollect at his island home on Sado Island, much to the surprise of everyone at the table of the staff meeting room two floors below his office. Nobody protested, but wished him well on his way. He refused to meet his father’s knowing gaze, and instead offered the rest of the paperwork to Ansatsu, who quietly sat at the head of the table with the rest of the demons and humans of the company. </span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We take our leave immediately. Abe has all the details, and we expect to hear the contract drafts are completed by the end of the week, no longer.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He turned on one heel and headed for the helipad, choosing to travel legitimately this time. The copter was already primed and as soon as he was belted in, they were off. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome was chewing on the back of a pen when her employer walked in at least two hours earlier than she had anticipated. She blinked in surprise as he patted her head.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What happened?” She asked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sesshoumaru took a small leave. Abe was quick with the details, and will provide you with a set of notes she went over last night with him, apparently.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She frowned as he gathered his jacket from the desk of his own office.<br/>“Can I interest you in work over dinner?” He inquired. She eyed him playfully. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What did you have in mind, boss?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Dealer’s choice - I offered, you pick.” He answered. Kagome thought for a minute, before deciding on a steak house that she knew had really big tables for their mess. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sparing no expense, right?” She raised her brows once before he sighed.<br/>“Woman, you’re going to eat me out of the money I’ve painstakingly saved over hundreds of lifetimes.” He whined. She shrugged, laughing. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You said yourself, dealer’s choice! Steak it is.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He huffed, but waited for her to gather her files and papers before offering his arm as they jaunted towards the elevator. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A month later, Touga was sitting in her living room, complaining about her coffee table. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Shut up. You aren’t allowed to replace anything else in my apartment!” She chastised. “I’m sick of coming home to stuff I didn’t buy! And if you touch my recliner or coffee table, I will personally castrate you.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga grimaced at her, but pulled another piece of sushi from the platter in the middle of the ugly round thing.<br/>“So we’ve managed to finish the contracts for the people going that they are satisfied with, the ministry is pleased with what we have and all of the picks for the work, demon and human, have been approved by the ministry. What now?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga chewed and grinned at her. “We rake in money once the approval has been granted and wait for spring to deploy them. Accounting handles the paychecks and the money, and we move on to the next project.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What new project though..” She sighed, stretching before beginning to tuck away all the papers they had been finalizing. She massaged her scalp gently, eyes bleary from papers and desk work. “I was kind of hoping to have some down time finally. I keep promising Inuyasha I’m going to go to the beach with your grand-daughters and it keeps getting pushed back because of the work load.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga picked up a piece of yellowfin, chewing thoughtfully before he answered.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Perhaps a break is in order. That won’t stop the office from receiving consulting jobs, but the heads should be able to hold the fort.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She gave him a look, and he chuckled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Something tells us you would take the time regardless of what we say in this moment.”<br/>She smiled. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Nailed it.” She rose and padded to the kitchen. “Can I get you a drink? I think I’m gonna crack into this white wine Inuyasha dropped off last week.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We will enjoy wine with you.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She poured two servings in teacups and came back, sitting beside Touga. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You seem to be settling well, Kagome.” He said, sipping from the cup. She sighed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You know, I thought this was going to be much harder. It's been natural. Pleasant.” She flashed him a small smile. “I didn’t think I’d enjoy the work so much, but it feels good to do something that will benefit the country. I like working for the betterment of the world.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga nodded, his eyes soft.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’ve grown into your role well. Even filled out.” He pinched her side. She slapped him hard, laughing.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Its been nice, having most of my family back.” She paused, eyeing him as she took another long sip of wine. “Y’know, I’ve been meaning to ask but we’ve been so busy. Would you mind if I asked a personal question?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga leaned his back on her recliner as he settled an arm over one corner of it.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“By all means, treat us as an open book.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shook her head.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I was always under the impression you died in the fire of Izayoi’s castle. It was said you had some pretty serious wounds from your battle prior to taking on another army. What really happened?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s face soured a touch, but he took drink and swirled the cup.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“We were indeed injured. The fact we made it out with Izayoi uninjured was impressive even to us.” He glanced at her. “I thought I would never admit it, but it was unclear if we </span> <em> <span class="tm6">would </span> </em> <span class="tm5">survive. If not for Ruishi, I don’t believe I would have.”</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome frowned at the foreign name.<br/>“Who is Ruishi?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Ruishi is Sesshoumaru’s mother. She was born in the lands of China and immigrated here with us after we began growing tired of roaming Japan and had taken to roaming the shores of the mainland.” He flicked her nose. “But that is a different story for another time. At the time, Ruishi found us based on the rumors going around, and in all of her grace, decided to save us. She insisted we leave Japan to fully heal before going back, and we didn’t argue at the time. By then, I was so intrigued by other cultures beyond our land that I stayed, and didn’t come back for..” He pondered for a moment. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Centuries, I suppose. May haps a millennia?” He was tapping his claw to his lower lip. Kagome chuckled as she took another hearty sip of whine.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck, you’re old.” She ribbed him. He straightened as though he was going to scold her.<br/>“Now young woman, you’d best watch your mouth.” He chastened, finishing his cup of wine. She took the empty cup, rolling it in question. He nodded.<br/>“What are you gonna do, Papa? Spank me?” She shot over her shoulder. His golden eyes flashed at her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Don’t tempt me, little priestess.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oooooh,” she cooed, laughing, “you’re bark is worse than your bite, Touga.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“One would think that were a good thing.” He teased as she came back from pouring him another cup and refreshing her own. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh it is, but I don’t think that’s for me to determine, boss.” She said pointedly as she sat back on the floor, offering him his filled cup. They sat in silence for a moment before Touga smirked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Between you and I, little priestess, I would think you’d be the best judge for our bite based on your previous experiences.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It took her a moment to figure out where he was going with his statement before she glared.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Rude much?”<br/>He cast her an apologetic look.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I didn’t mean to prod a sore spot.” His and came up under chin, and his sultry look made her stomach drop a bit. It got worse when his thumb swiped over her bottom lip. “I could see you being a very attentive lover.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He dropped his hand and his gaze, sipping a bit more wine. Kagome stared at him. She couldn’t deny that she’d thought about it; the Inu no Taishou was handsome. And that was putting it mildly; she’d seen the muscle flex under his tighter shirts. Just because he was bound to a desk didn’t mean he had the desk-jockey body. Occasionally, she had been at his home during his training bouts. It took four to keep up with the general, and he had been wearing loose hakama and nothing else. Apparently she had stared long enough he'd noticed, but then again what didn’t those damn dogs not notice. Clearing her throat she tossed the last of her wine back.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And what if I were?” Kagome felt foolish at the lurch of her heartbeat. She wasn’t a damned teenager anymore, but the idea of canoodling with the Inu no Taishou seemed so ridiculously over her capabilities she wanted to laugh like an idiot as he leaned towards her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I would be tempted to test the limits of our working relationship.” He answered slowly, one eyebrow raised. Kagome felt the creep of another bad decision along her spine. The wine had tempered her embarrassment a tick, but she was still very much aware of him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And if I wanted to test it...? What don’t we want?” She asked quietly, studying him. Touga seemed mildly surprised at her answer, but positioned himself so his frame was comfortably occupying her space.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Perhaps those limits would best be set by the one most concerned. I will not entertain this any further if it changes the way we are now, Kagome.” He was very serious. She could feel his want, see it in the way he held her gaze.<br/>“We are kinda like an old married couple, sitting on the floor drinking crappy wine. I can’t see how this would be any weirder than that.” She surmised. His head tilted.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And it would not bother you being with your ex-lover’s father?” He was so solemn when he said it she broke into nervous giggles.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well when you say it like that, its gross and I guess a no-go.” She said sardonically. He leaned back, not picking up on her sarcasm. There was a flutter of disappointment as he began to pull away, and she internally huffed. If he wasn’t going to take what he wanted, then she would for once in her life. She placed her cup on the coffee table as she rose and stood over Touga, who looked up in real surprise as she knelt back down over his lap, taking his face in both her hands and kissing his unresponsive lips as softly and sweetly as she could, testing the waters. His hands seemed to falter over her sides before finally coming to rest on her hips. Kagome ran her hands through his hair, marveling at the way it felt like water over her fingertips. He groaned beneath her as her palms rubbed the tips of his ears. He finally returned her kiss, guiding the back of her head with one hand to move in tandem with his motions and Kagome felt like she was floating. Touga was as gentle she’d never seen in a demon. The hand moving up her hip to press up into the dimple of her spine was all finger pads. Somehow, this demon lord knew every sweet spot to press in guiding her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It wasn’t too long before he had picked her up and was now sitting precariously on the edge of her recliner with her knees on either side of his hips. The camisole she was wearing for bed was inching up slowly as the hand at her back kept pushing upwards and onwards, and it was soon matched by his other hand as it fluttered over her stomach to pass over her breast. He tugged her sports bra up gently, weighing the mound of soft flesh in his palm and covering her. She gasped into his mouth at the delightful pressure, and he swallowed it, licking gently at her bottom lip as he coaxed her on. He voiced his pleasure at her fingers on his scalp, down his neck, over his shoulders to the front of his chest as she pulled the buttons of his work shirt slowly, one by one so she could run her hands over the hard planes of his chest. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">When he pushed the her bra up and over both of her breasts and tweaked her nipple gently, she sighed against him, hips rolling gently. Touga was unhurried in every motion of her. His hips didn’t press into hers, building a burning need in her she had briefly forgotten existed. It was maddening, how she was on fire and he seemed to enjoy letting her torment herself.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Touga... Please...” She pled, letting her nails rake up his abdomen and over his taut nipple. He hissed.<br/>“Darling, do not shell out pain unless you want to receive it.” He said huskily over her cheek, whispering kisses over her jaw as his fangs nipped at her chin and throat. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m aching inside already.” She gasped as his mouth grazed her pulse, hand pressing her breast harder into her chest. She looked down over him and swallowed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You wanna do this?” She panted softly. Touga stood slowly, holding her against him as he used one leg to move her coffee table aside. He laid her out on the soft rug that had been below the table, making slow work of his shirt before peeling out of it and tossing it aside. He began kissing up the planes of her stomach, pushing her camisole up and over her head, then assisting her out of her bra in a smooth tug. He was over her with both hands sliding up the sides of her body, tongue and mouth trailing over her and teasing both of her breasts before she whined for him to keep going, tugging at the belt of his pleated black work pants when she could reach it.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He grabbed her hands with a low growl, nipping at her mouth chastening her before pushing them above her head. Her entire body flared with more heat, her vaginal walls throbbing with need. He helped her out of her pajama bottoms and seemed pleased at the flesh colored lace there. He smirked at her before lavishing her belly with more kisses and licks, deceptively calm as she distracted her from the claws inching down her sides and over the top of her thighs. He put his finger through the very base of them and tore them in one smooth motion that shocked her, making her pause. His knuckle dragged from the aching, twitching hole to grind into the swollen nub at the top of her labia. He kept a slow circle of hard pressure that made it hard for her to do anything but buck and groan.<br/>“Are you sure, Kagome?” He teased darkly, eyes hooded and voice so much lower than she remembered. She let one hand bury in his hair and tugged lightly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Touga, if you don’t fuck me right now, you’re going to miss out on me cumming.” She panted, heart racing as her body clenched so close to climax, she was sure the second anything entered her she was going to cum. He chuckled, and somehow again, he adopted a persona he almost never took with her. It was all six foot five of him stretched over her small frame, powerful and lean as his body moved with his hand guiding her leg. While she hadn’t even been aware of his motions, he’d deftly undone his belt and pulled his rigid length from his pants. It wasn’t until his length was bumping the inside of her thigh she realized he was preparing to delve into her cunt. He had been kissing her completely senseless, and in one smooth motion, Touga had plunged into her body and driven her breath out of her. His fangs were gritted as he pulled her leg up over his thigh and began to drive into her. She moaned as his length plunged through her, and it wasn’t long before she was falling over the edge he had built her up on.<br/>“Fuck!” She breathed an octave higher that she intended, eyes clenching. “I’m gonna... Gods, I’m gonna...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do it..” He commanded. “Let me feel it, Kagome.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She gave a sharp cry and her entire body sang with pleasure as she grasped desperately at his shoulders, raking her nails over his shoulders and legs squeezing him. He wasn’t stopping, wasn’t done, and the longer his cock rolled the longer her orgasm was prolonged until she wasn’t sure if it was the same, or a new one. He paused for a few moments, breathing heavily himself so she could gather herself and continued rolling his hips into her. She cooed and once she had relaxed, matched the movements until Touga was gritting his teeth. The sounds he made brought her closer to another orgasm, and when it hit both of them, he seated himself fully inside of her and she could feel him cum. They lay on her floor for a long moment, and when he pulled out of her, he resituated himself and pulled her up to carry her to her bathroom. Kagome rested her forehead against Touga’s, and closed her eyes as he started the bath. She couldn’t look him in the eyes - if she did, she worried she would see Sesshoumaru staring back. When he tapped her legs so she would touch down, she opened her eyes and pulled the ruined panties off, depositing them in the nearby garbage pail with a small smile. He chuckled.<br/>“Get in. I will bring more wine and join you presently.” He turned, sliding out of his pants while he was at it and tossing them aside. She tilted her head as she watched the glorious ass of Inu no Taisho walked off to her kitchen to get her more wine and smiled a bit before it died.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It had taken everything in her not to call his name. When she clenched her eyes shut, his face was there, and she opened her eyes in the tub, willing those boiling amber eyes away, that accusatory face. She had broken it off, cleanly. Why should she feel guilty about moving forward?</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are always greatly appreciated, Adalie and Juliastes. Constructive criticism is welcome.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Mitigation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome and Touga arrived at the office later than intended, but still in a comfortable duo, as though they hadn’t just spent most of the night testing out flexibility and stamina. Touga had been positively pleased with her delivery. If anything, it made their working relationship a little less awkward. The questions she’d kept pulling her punches didn’t feel so taboo anymore, and their communication was infinitely better. Once all of the paperwork had been officially scanned and turned over to the proper departments, both of them had taken leave to head back to Touga’s townhouse. She had called Inuyasha and asked him if he could take some time and get the girls so they could have their beach day today or tomorrow, and was delighted to find out they could go on the morrow. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">With those plans being made, she reminded Touga she would need to take some things with her, and he had instead insisted on going on a quick shopping trip to burn the remaining daylight. She frowned, but agreed after she made it clear he wasn’t purchasing anything for her. By the time they were done, she had a beach towel, thongs, and a long sleeved monokini with cut outs on each side of the waist, in a beautiful sea foam green with birds of paradise patterned on it. The back was completely open and while it protected her arms and chest, it was still open and breathy. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Would you like to stay over? We can drive one of the cars over to the coast to meet Inuyasha there.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shrugged.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sure.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His eyebrows wiggled at her as they climbed the stairs to the front door of his town house, punching in the door code and holding it for her.<br/>“Does this mean I get a repeat performance of last night?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I didn’t think an old man like you had another in you.” She taunted, turning only to have her mouth silenced by Touga’s mouth pressing hers in a gentle kiss. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You should watch yourself, dear priestess. We may find ourselves completely addicted to your brand of delight.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She was still fascinated at the way he could steal her breath away with a kiss. Was that just something demons learned over time? Or did it run in the family? Kagome felt like it was inappropriate to ask as the walked for the elevator that would take them to Touga’s three story townhouse.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sooo what exactly are we going to tell Inuyasha about what’s going on here..?” She asked, feeling a flutter of nerves. Touga shrugged.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We work in close proximity. It isn’t unheard of to start smelling of one another in such scenarios. And if all else fails, you may use the jet tub afterwards.”<br/>That got her attention. She stared at him as he punched in another code for the elevator.<br/>“Are you telling me you have a bathtub with jets?” The tremulous tone she took on made him laugh boisterously.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Indeed. You do enjoy your soaks, don’t you?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome hummed happily.<br/>“I can also think of other things to use the jets for.” His goofy grin dropped when he realized her implication and he pinched at her sides.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You salacious woman!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5"><br/>~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome held on for dear life as Touga recklessly drove the little white BMW on the scenic route to Obama’s beaches. Apparently there was a small timeshare that the company always had on reserve that met their time constraints. Kagome had been to that area before, but not in the current times. Kagome’s heart raced as Touga took a corner too fast. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Slow down you idiot!” She shouted, white knuckling the door. “I want to make it to the beach alive if at all!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga laughed and pumped the brakes, clearly enjoying the wind whipping his tied back hair around. He’d dropped the top on the car and would speed up on the straight stretches to an impossible speed, letting the white streak of hair whip behind him. The drive alone took about twenty minutes, having shaved off about ten minutes of travel time with speed alone. When they arrived to the modern villa on the edge of a hill, Inuyasha’s two girls came running from the front door where he stood in a pair of red board shorts and nothing else, arms folded as he grinned at the car pulling in.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Inu Papa!” Cried Shinamari. “What’d you bring us Pops?!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga put the car in park and got out, grabbing the girl up and flinging her around.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Despite the age of the girls being as old as they were, both of them were much more youthful in appearance than their actual age, Kagome had noticed. Clearly, even a quarter of demon blood was enough to keep age at an arm’s length. Kagome exited the car and was immediately struck by Ayame, who had wrapped her arms around her legs.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hi Kagome!” She looked up, amber eyes crinkling with her smile.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hey sweet girl!” Kagome ruffled her hair, kneeling to give her a hard hug.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Eh! Kagome! I brought a surprise for you!” Inuyasha called from the stairs. Kagome picked Ayame up, brushing her dark hair from her face with beaming smile.<br/>“What could possibly be better than these two trouble makers?” She laughed, walking for the stairs. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“A really, really big one. I poached him from the American offices, if Sesshoumaru isn’t already pissed at the way personnel has been shifting around the office.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome still smiled but looked at him with a furrowed brow as he collected his daughter from her arms.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re gonna want your hands free.” Inuyasha winked. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“KAGOMEEE!!” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A streak of blue and red all but tackled her from the house, picking her up like she was a sack of rice and spinning her around hard enough to make her dizzy.<br/>“What the..!” Her arms had come around the neck of the culprit and when her vision came back, she looked on a very grown, very mature fox demon. His precious baby fat filled cheeks had grown into a sweet faced young man. He was pale as he ever was, and his hair was cropped terribly short, but those were his mischief filled green eyes. Kagome was so shocked she wanted to cry.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh, Shippou! Sweet boy I missed you so much!” Kagome squeezed him, face buried in his neck for a long time before she finally drew back and he let her put her feet back on the sandy driveway. She grabbed his face between both her hands, taking in his happy face with a teary one of her own.<br/>“God you grew up so handsome!” She pinched his cheeks and he winced pulling her hands away.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“I missed you a lot, Kagome-nee. I’m glad to see you happy and thriving.”<br/>Inuyasha </span> <em> <span class="tm6">feh</span> </em> <span class="tm5">’d behind him.<br/>“Yea, </span> <em> <span class="tm6">now</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> she looks better. Shoulda seen her mangy ass when I first saw her a couple months ago.”</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A rock whistled and smacked Inuyasha’s ear, making him help and rub the sore spot. Touga had since put Shinamari down and was palming another rock, with a raised brow.<br/>“Its impolite to talk about women like they aren’t here, Inuyasha. Mind your manners.”<br/>Inuyasha looked over his girls.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, lets get on to the beach. You guys gonna stay the night with us?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome blinked. “Well I didn’t really plan on it, but..” She looked over at Touga. “I guess that’s up to the boss man.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga grinned and nodded. “Of course, Inuyasha. We’ve been nose to the grindstone the last couple weeks, so this would be a welcome change.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome settled and let Shippou lead her up the stairs into the villa, overwhelmed at the sudden flurry of activity. Inuyasha was talking to one of the girls about a snack, Shippou was telling her about her travels, and Touga was on the phone asking for a grocery service to drop off supplies for a long weekend. He peered over at her from where he was at the bannister, grinning at her. He crooked a finger for her to come over and join him. Excusing herself from Shippou.<br/>“So, little priestess. What else can I do to make this weekend better?” He inquired as he hung up the phone. She placed a hand on his forearm, squeezing softly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Nothing. I mean, I wish my brother and mom could join us, but trying to get them here on such short notice is not gonna happen.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga searched her before kissing her forehead discretely. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Very well.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome moved away and plunged into the middle of the chaos that was Shippou wrestling with the two girls who had taken it upon themselves to bet they could hang on to Uncle’s arm longer than he could hold them up. She watched with a smile on her face.<br/>In the back of her mind, she distantly wondered what Sesshoumaru was doing, and whether or not Touga had decided to invite his older son to join the fray. She didn’t put it far from Touga to do something so wild, and she was pretty sure Touga wasn’t stupid enough to think that his older son was never on her mind. He played the role of doltish father figure just long enough to fool everyone around him, but the number of times he’d reverted to his former glory in the last twenty four hours in front of her convinced her he knew exactly what he was doing all the time. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She glanced at him as he moved towards the kitchen inquiring what Inuyasha had brought for snacks. Truthfully, it didn’t dawn on her to really be wary of him until recently. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga was far more contriving than he let on. Not just the silly little family plans. No, he was a larger picture kind of creature, and she had to wonder what his long term plan for her was. There was no doubt he harbored one.<br/>“Kagome, lets go down to the water!” called Shinamari, waving at her from the back door of the villa. Kagome started from her thoughts and her gaze and nodded, following the girls and Shippou out the back to the water.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They spent so much time in the sun, building castles on the beach and playing in the water by the time everyone came back inside, the girls were ready for a bath and a nap. Even Kagome could feel an ache in her body, having tried to keep up with two energetic little girls. There were three bedrooms and one bathroom upstairs, and one main bedroom/bathroom downstairs beneath those. Inuyasha claimed the bedroom beside the girls’, and Shippou claimed the one beside that. Touga had begrudgingly decided to sleep downstairs, and Kagome had been pleased to accept a pajama party invitation to the girls’ bedroom where she would sleep with the girls on a large futon on the floor. Dinner was served after bath time, and once everyone was settled, she had fallen asleep quickly with both girls snuggled close. She knew she was dreaming, and whatever it was had covered her in cold sweat when she started awake a few hours later in the middle of the night. She carefully extracted herself from the girls, cautious not to wake them as she went downstairs to the kitchen to get some water, and was startled while in the fridge when she heard Inuyasha’s voice behind her.<br/>“So you and dad, eh?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome felt her heart leap into her throat but she sighed, giving him an angry look before she caught her breath. He wore a pair of loose black cotton pajama pants and no shirt, mussed hair flaring around him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How’d you know?” She asked softly, opening the bottle of water she had pulled out of the fridge. Inuyasha gave her a long suffering look, like this was something he was fairy used to.<br/>“The old bastard has never been able to stop himself around beautiful women. And you’re an idiot if you don’t think you’re pretty.” He answered, coming around to sit at one of the stools that had been pushed under the counter and leaning his chin in one of his hands.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Thanks?” She answered unsurely. “That sounds suspiciously backhanded.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha chuckled softly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’ve never slept too well since Yuna died.” He sighed. “She was always the best snuggler. Now I hear someone jostle and I’m awake.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sorry, Inuyasha. I didn’t mean to wake you.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He waved her off. “Nah, its not you. Just something I don’t turn off well anymore. Sleep feels... Like its not really something I have to have anymore.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, knowing the feeling.<br/>“Your body just gets tired sometimes, you close your eyes, and then you get up again. I get it.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He nodded, head turning slightly in his hand as she leaned on the opposite end.<br/>“What the hell prompted the whole Touga thing?” He asked, quirking a brow at her with a stupid grin. She pursed her lips at his invasive question, but shrugged.<br/>“Something different, I guess. He’s... much nicer than your brother.” she said with a mirthless laugh. “I don’t know that it’ll last, but its nice to not feel like I’m alone anymore. While your dad is a conspiring asshat sometimes, I like the way he makes me feel about me.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha listened without interrupting, nodding.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He’s charming like that, for sure.” He paused giving her a look of minor concern. “Just know he tends to do this with all his help.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome laughed.<br/>“He took me to tea to ask me to reconsider the job offer before I took it. I could tell just in the way he treated the shop girl he’s a lech. Reminds me way too much of Miroku.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha’s smile reached his eyes this time, and Kagome felt warm in her chest. Their shared memories still connected them in ways that nobody could ever take away.<br/>“Yeah, that stupid bastard.. Only got caught cheating once. Don’t think he ever did it again, if only because Sango left him for two weeks before he spilled his purse on her doorstep when he finally found her again.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s finger traced the lip of the bottle, feeling heavy.<br/>“They had a shit-ton of kids after that fight. Pretty sure they still have some distant relatives scattered throughout Japan, even a few on the mainland.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She could feel the weight of his golden eyes on her, and she set the bottle on the counter as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It bothers you, doesn’t it?” He asked suddenly. “That you weren’t there to see any of it.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome met his gold and nodded slowly. “I guess it does. Sango was the sister I never had. I wish I’d been there to threaten to shoot Miroku, or even been the shoulder she cried on when she needed it.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She sighed. “Hell, even though I get to see Shippou as a young man, it still feels wrong to not have gotten to watch him grow more.”<br/>Inuyasha huffed.<br/>“You seriously didn’t want to watch him go through his puberty. There was never not a time he didn’t have his hand around his -”<br/>“Yeah no.” She stopped him with a serious look, then laughed. “I really don’t want to know about that.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha laughed quietly, nodding. The silence stretched between them, and Kagome sipped her water again. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Tell me about your wife, Inuyasha.” She asked quietly. His brows raised, but he half-shrugged.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t really know what to tell you. She wasn’t a Kikyou, she certainly wasn’t you. But there was just... I dunno, Kagome.” He ran a hand through his already ruffled hair, scratching one hear. “All you ladies have this weird signature that’s just yours. She got me in a way neither of you did, but loved me just as much. Something you learn after a long time living is to appreciate the ones with that special whatever it is that draw you in like a damn moth to light.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He tapped his claws on the tile counter top. “She just happened to have the right light for me.” His eyes were off in the distance as he remembered. “And the way she loved our daughter... So fierce. I miss her every time I look at our girls.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Watching his eyes mist over as his smile dropped slowly made her feel bad for asking, but it was something she’d never seen. He’d softened so much, even as crass as he was. Love hadn’t made him soft so much as changed the nature of his strength. It was... surprising. Refreshing. Her heart ached for his loss. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The girls are beautiful, Inuyasha. I’m glad I get to be a part of that, at the very least. I guess I got lucky you fell in love when you did.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He smiled at her.<br/>“Glad I could share some of the love, Kagome.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She reached over the counter and grabbed his free hand, kissing the back of it and pressing her forehead to it. Swiping at the tears gathering in the corner of her eyes she noticed a shift in the shadows behind Inuyasha as Touga emerged from the hallway, yawning.<br/>“What are you two doing up so early?” He rumbled. Kagome’s stomach fluttered. The man was a god, she decided. His stomach was a washboard of muscles that ripped as he ran his claws through his hair as he put it up messily, away from his face. His arms were large, lean muscle that she practically drooled over. It wasn’t until Inuyasha’s rolling eyes brought her back from her drool-fest. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Couldn’t sleep.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“’Gome woke me up.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha snort laughed as she took a swipe at him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Going back to bed anytime soon?” Touga asked with a brow raised at them. Kagome shrugged.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m awake now.”<br/>Inuyasha made a tired noise of agreement.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then we may as well drink the rest of the morning away.” Touga announced, moving to the small refrigerator that was on the counter and contained some expensive looking bottles. The bottle he pulled was labeled Black Dragon, and she could tell by the handwritten and stamped label it was indeed very expensive. He pulled three clay cups from the cupboard above the stainless steel mini-fridge and poured them all a serving. Kagome drank the first cup with vigor and when Touga pulled cards from one of the kitchen drawers she smiled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Lets play Pigs Tail.” She suggested. She was met with apprehensive stares, but they agreed. After the first round of boisterous cards, they had awoken Shippou, who insisted he be dealt in and also received a serving of sake. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">By the fourth round, they were all loud enough that the girls had come down to sit on Inuyasha’s lap or beside him and were learning to play. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">For the second time since arriving, Kagome looked around and felt full at heart. Touga’s clawed fingers found her hip at one point, tugging at the large dress shirt she had opted to sleep in along with a pair of shorts so his finger could press along her skin. He only stopped his pattern when one of his granddaughters came around to watch him play. She took another sip of sake. This was perfection she never wanted to end. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are always appreciated, Juliastes, BlackLacedCherry, mim; constructive criticism is welcome, as becoming a better writer is always the goal.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Nodulous</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga had certainly been conniving. When the door opened and a noisy Souta, Ji-Ji and Mama came through the door, the villa was suddenly non-stop noise. Kagome greeted her mother with a hug and Souta with a punch to the arm. Everyone was in bathing suits and down to the water by noon to celebrate a fun, sunny day. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">At some point, the girls were so thoroughly distracted by Shippou and Souta’s shark routine that she finally had the opportunity to head back up the beach where Touga was lounging on a beach chair, slick silver sunglasses hiding his amber eyes. He patted the empty chair beside him, and she sat heavily, sighing in exhaustion.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m already pooped.” She glanced at Touga. “You’re a meddlesome son of a bitch, y’know that?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga chuckled, laying back with one knee propped as his claws played little patterns in the sand. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“One would hope we came from a bitch. And you flourish when I meddle, so it is a compliment I will happily accept.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She laughed at his turn of phrase.<br/>“So I do have to ask now that my family has made their sudden appearance... When are you going to call Sesshoumaru to join us?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s face was placid at her question.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I contacted Sesshoumaru yesterday before we left. He never picked up, so I left a message that he was welcome to join us.” He answered.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shook her head, her knees drawing up to her chest loosely.<br/>“You are absolutely a mind reader.” She watched the girls squeal and laugh as Inuyasha tossed the younger of the two high into the air, catching her and splashing them both with water. “Does it bother you?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She could see his gaze shift to her out of the corner of her eyes.<br/>“Should it?” He inquired softly. Kagome’s shoulders hunched as she leaned her head on her knees to look at him.<br/>“It would bother me... But I know I’m a bit of a hypocrite, and you and I are very different people.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I like you, Kagome. Obnoxiously wise for your age.” he intoned. “And no, it does not bother me you are considerate of our son’s feelings. It makes you all the more attractive as an individual. Jealousy is for the bored and weak.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It was just as well he would answer that way. He’d not made her feel a single negative emotion on purpose, and most of what did get under her skin was self-perceived. She could take a page from the dog demon who stretched out with a grunt before languishing in the sun. She rose and gave him a quick peck on his forehead before heading for the house.<br/>“I’m going to go get a drink. Can I grab you anything?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga made a noncommittal sound that she took as a no, and walked toward the house in her monokini. She was rinsing her feet off with the garden hose they had wisely decided to leave at the edge of the stairs going into the house when she realized Touga had followed her. He spun her and grabbed her up, coaxing her knees to hold him until he had her seated on the tile of the kitchen counter. Once he had her right where he wanted her, he gave her a gentle kiss. Kagome cupped his face and let her eyes slide shut. Pure waves of bliss and calm poured over her as he moved against her mouth, and when she opened her eyes as he pulled back, she found exactly that in his demeanor. It reassured her, left her with a genuine smile as he gently licked her chin once.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why do you keep doing that!” She tittered. He gave her a fanged smirk she was growing to adore in all three of the Taisho men.<br/>“It is meant to be a playful, calming motion.” he explained briefly nipping again at her chin. “Mean to appease, put at ease.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She nodded, and brushed one of his ears with her finger tips, reveling in the groan it produced.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We did not intend to take you while we are here, but do be careful. You are in danger of finding yourself beneath our tongue.” He warned. She bit his lower lip harder than she intended, drawing a hard breath from him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This doesn’t sound like a bad thing.” She soothed the bite gently. He raised a chastening brow.<br/>“I do not want the girls coming in to such noises, nor do I think your mother, brother, or Inuyasha would appreciate such things.” He pulled away from her, and she fought not to whine like a petulant child.<br/>“You started it.” She grumbled. Touga pulled a bottle of wine from where the sake had been chilling and popped the cork, pouring in two stemless glasses that had been sitting on the counter beside it. He handed her the glass and sipped himself.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Perhaps we should bring some to your mother?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, setting her glass aside and hopping off the counter to grab another glass to hand to Touga when they both heard a phone go off. It was a pop song. Kagome went to the couch in the receiving room and dug through the bag that had been thrown on the couch. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Its work.” She frowned, answering. “Higurashi?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Higurashi, its Abe. I assume Touga is with you?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He is. Joint family weekend vacation. What can I do for you, Miss Abe?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We have a problem. A very inconvenient problem. One of the four has backed out, and so has a couple of their replacements.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What do you mean, backed out?”<br/>Abe puffed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“They didn’t sign a legally binding contract yet, and they decided not to go once they were told where the shrine was.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome frowned.<br/>“Where is the shrine?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sado Island.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Whats so horrible about Sado Island?”<br/>Abe paused. Kagome could practically see the dark haired woman purse her lips in her minds eye.<br/>“The demons assisting with its restoration have been deemed a little unruly.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It wasn’t much of an explanation but Kagome wasn’t one to pry when Abe started keeping details quiet.<br/>“In fact, every damn time I get another candidate on the phone, they back out of the job. I can’t get anyone to stay.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sighed.<br/>“The job was actually one I was considering before I took on the job working for Mr. Taisho. Maybe.. And I’m just throwing this loosely out there, because I’m enjoying my current job... But what if I took on the Shrine Keepers position on the condition I still get to come back to working for the company?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">There was a long pause.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t know that that is a very good idea, Higurashi.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome snorted.<br/>“Fine. Its an option I put on the table, so if nothing else comes up you can revisit it. We won’t be back to the office for another day or so.”<br/>She hung her work phone up and worked her temples for a minute. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The problem?” Touga asked from the kitchen.<br/>“The Sado Island keeper is out and Abe is having trouble finding a replacement. I told her we would worry about it when we came back to the office.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She answered, strolling back into the kitchen. Touga kissed her and patted her bottom.<br/>“Good answer.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru was lounging in the library of the manor built into the mountains of his home island. Since Touga’s offer to join them at the Obama villa, he’d been restless. His message mentioned that Inuyasha and his nieces would be joining them, as well as Kagome and possibly other family members. The mention of Kagome was enough to put him off going, as he had only recently been able to regain footing with himself. The beast in him was far more calm taking in the sights and smells of the island when he was padding through home territory, and it benefited the island itself. Unfortunately, while he was an excellent keeper of his company on the mainland, there were some parts that were suffering from the imbalance here. It had overgrown and become far wilder than was easy to pad around in his most natural state. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His phone buzzed on the small round marble table he had set it down on while he read through a few old scrolls.<br/>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We have a problem. Shrine keepers are refusing to work at Sado. I have a solution, but you won’t like it.” Abe sounded cautious. His eyes narrowed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And that is..?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Higurashi is still technically qualified to be a shrine maiden and keeper.”<br/>Sesshoumaru swore under his breath. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“She offered to take the position with the condition she would get to keep working as your father’s PA.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Of course... We will consider. Find an alternative; you have a week, and that is with us being generous with the time.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Of course, my lord.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She hung the phone up. Sesshoumaru’s patience had built up enough that he didn’t break the phone he clenched in his hand. Mostly because he was tired of replacing the damn things. He went back to the scroll, looking over other remedies for his island’s overgrowth problem. The only natural deterrent was a natural holy human presence. It was now he was beginning to understand a touch of the irony that his father had been speaking of regarding the Gods and their cruel sense of justice. Perhaps her constant presence in his life was condemnation for treating her rashly all those years ago. Something that felt so small, completely meaningless. A cracking noise made him start as he realized he still had the phone clenched tightly in his hand, and was now laying cracked and decimated by his grip. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome kissed her mother before she watched her board the train on as the headed back home. The long weekend had been delightful, and much needed. Time spent with her family, and the Taisho’s, was time well spent. Kagome watched until the train sped off before getting into Touga’s car. She fell asleep on the way back home, and woke up when they had stopped at her apartment. Touga helped bring her things back up to the apartment and kissed her cheek before excusing himself for the evening. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She took the time to refresh herself with a long hot bath, and was sitting in her living room with a facial mask on, watching television when her phone buzzed in her lap.<br/>“Hello?”<br/>“KAGOOOOMEEEE!!” The familiar sound of all three of her friends on the other end nearly made her drop the phone. “COME TO YOUR DOOOOOOR!!! LET US INN!!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome laughed and hung the phone up, opening the door to the gaggle of grinning girls. They cheered and came in, all of them with bags in hand. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We heard you moved!” Eri exclaimed, looking around, and grimacing. “I see some of your furniture still needs to be replaced.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome punched her arm. “I happen to like that recliner and coffee table!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ayumi grabbed Kagome by the hands and looked her over.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Gods, you look so much better than you did on your birthday. I was worried when you asked me for a psych evaluation for a gun, but you look fantastic!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Gun?!” Eri and Yuka chorused.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Little Barry is my knight in matte black armor!” Kagome argued, laughing. “I kinda like having him around. You guys want some wine?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But can we see it?” Yuka asked, eyes wide. Kagome shook her head in the negative. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Noooo, you don’t need to look at my gun. Unless I intend to carry him, I leave him in the vault. I can tell you he’s a Beretta, and you can go look it up on your phone.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Eri groaned with disappointment.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How about some sake? My boss left some with me, I think you’ll like it.” She sauntered into the kitchen and pulled a few cups out of the cupboard as well as the sake bottle from the weekend and poured. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The girls were splitting up, snooping around the apartment and making exclamations as they searched. Kagome leaned on her counter and sipped sake until they were thoroughly satisfied and were brought back to the kitchen. Eri gasped.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh my god, Kagome, where did you get this bottle?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I told you - boss left it for me. I mean, it was half empty, but meh. I figured we could finish it off tonight.” She answered. “Why?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Eri cradled the bottle lovingly, pressing her cheek to the cool finish.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This bottle is like, twenty-two thousand!” She cooed. “Its one of the best whiskeys Japan makes!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Kagome swallowed the sake in her mouth a little heavier. </span> <em> <span class="tm6">Dammit, Touga.</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> Somehow, he still managed to spoil her under the radar. </span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, its half gone, so you better enjoy what’s left.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">All three girls stared at their cups before taking measured sips, before downing it and asking for another. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sooo are you okay if we have a sleep over tonight, Alien Kagome?” Yuka asked, poking her green covered nose. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I can’t say yes, but you guys can stick around and drink the rest of this bottle with me. I have work pretty early tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">All three grumbled, but with another full cup the happy trio was back on.<br/>“So next thing you need for this place is one of those pull out futons. I know a great guy, you’d really like it. He’ll give you a good deal!” Eri exclaimed. Kagome huffed, but could see the benefit in adding a new piece. Just the recliner seemed kinda lonely in the apartment.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Let me wash my stuff off, I’ll be right back.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The girls settled around the coffee table, exchanging stories and greetings. Once Kagome was back, they patted the floor.<br/>“So what changed, Kagome? You look like a different person.” Yuka commented, huddling over her cup. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I bet it was good sex.” Eri waggled her eyebrows. Ayumi flushed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“God, Eri, do you ever think about anything else lately?” She exclaimed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Babies. But then again..” Eri paused, eyeing Kagome. “Wait. I’ll tell you when you explain your nifty new glow. What’s new that’s got you so happy?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome took a solid drink from her cup.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I guess it’s a combination of a much better paying job, job stability and some reconnection with some old friends. Definitely eating better too...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A knock sounded at her door and she popped up to check the peep hole. It was Touga.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Shit.” she mumbled under her breath. She peeked behind her, and the girls had begun talking amongst themselves again. She unlocked the door and slipped out, shutting it quickly behind her as she bumped into Touga, who was surprised at her sudden exit. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sorry, I have company. I’m pretty sure you would enjoy a bunch of giggling girl-women, but I’m still recovering from a weekend of sharing, soooo... What’s up?” She piped. Touga smiled at her softly, lowering his mouth to hers and giving her a slow burning kiss.<br/>“I intended to pick up where we left off at the villa, but seeing as you have company..” Kagome expected him pull away completely, and let out a small cry of surprise when he picked her up, firmly grasping the globes of her ass, encouraging her legs to wrap around him and pressing her against her closed door, pressing between her thighs and making her mouth go dry as he kissed her completely breathless. He pulled away, grinning.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Good to taste you’re enjoying the last of the sake amongst friends.” His eyes flickered from her to the door behind her. “Isn’t that right, ladies?” He said much louder. A chorus of laughter and fleeing feet behind the door sounded and Kagome covered her face with both of her hands as she smacked her forehead. Of course, she wouldn’t get any kind of privacy in the public hallway of her building. He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound as he nosed her hands away from her face and nipped at her chin, licking it, before setting her back down. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I leave you in the capable hands of friends, and will see you at work tomorrow.”<br/>Kagome nodded, leaning against the door as he took his leave, twisting the door handle and emerging back into the room.<br/>“Goddammit you guys!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">All three started laughing again.<br/>“Yup. Good sex.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Damn, what a hottie!”<br/>“Is he related to that other guy?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome glanced around at them.<br/>“Would you believe it's his dad?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">An ensemble of </span> <em> <span class="tm6">ooooooooo</span> </em> <span class="tm5">’s went up amongst the girls before they collapsed back on the floor laughing.</span></p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are always greatly appreciated, Juliastes, and constructive criticism is always welcome as the goal is to become a better writer.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Vicissitude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The air in the boardroom meeting was thick with tension as Inuyasha argued with Sesshoumaru. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I get you aren’t a huge fan of this happening this way, but why bother looking anywhere else? Its an easy solution, and if Kagome is cool with it, we can keep the salary the same, and let her take care of the shrine!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru rubbed his temple once more, eyes closed as his fingers tapped over the files sitting before him. They each had a matching set, but the current discussion was allowing Kagome to fill in where there was nobody else volunteering. Currently, there was a rumor going around that the shrine they were proposing be cared for was haunted ground, and once the keeper found out the rumor, they backed out. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We have said it three times, now. The study may not be sullied with additional money. If Higurashi goes, she forfeits her pay here, we will need to find a suitable replacement, and the contract will stand for the time allotted. We cannot change the nature of the contract based on personal favor.” Sesshoumaru rumbled. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha looked over at Touga.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What about you? Surely you’re not for this.”<br/>His father had been eerily silent through the entire meeting, not his usual conniving self. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I prefer to keep my PA, absolutely. However, I’m not the party that offered the solution. If this is what Higurashi wants, then who are we to argue.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sesshoumaru is right. We can’t allow personal favor to change the nature of the study. If we want a successful program, Kagome must sign the contract and be subject to its rules as much as the others.” Totosai chimed in.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Agreed!” Myoga called from wherever his perch was. Inuyasha flicked the flea onto the table and sat, looking defeated.<br/>“Then we will have you explain the nature of the contract.” Sesshoumaru looked pointedly at Inuyasha.<br/>“I will, Sesshoumaru.” Touga interrupted. Sesshoumaru eyed his father. Beyond his last opinion, it was the only other thing he’d said since they started hashing out the details of this problem, looking for other solutions. He nodded once and waved his father out the door. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Meeting adjourned until you bring the results of the conversation back to the table tomorrow at noon.” The group filed out of the room until only Sesshoumaru was left.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He’d been back two days from his leave and he was already beginning to regret it. Abe Ansatsu had reported back to him that there were no visible problems with Kagome, that her work was satisfactory and left no real room for complaint. The only way to pull her out of the company appeared to be by her accepting another position, like the one she had proposed to take. Unfortunately, this would not unbury her tick-like presence from the their affairs. In fact, it would put her much closer to him on the Island. Sado Island’s proposed shrine was the one within thirty miles of his home in the mountains. Part of why people insisted it was haunted, was because of his natural presence. The rumor was that it was haunted with a giant white dog that ate people trespassing on the mountain. The rumor was half true - what they were seeing was indeed him, and his grandness was indeed terrifying. However, he hadn’t eaten a human in an easy millennia. Humans tended to be chewy and foul - the flavor wasn’t as pure as beef or elk. Instead of eating people, most of them tended to pass out and he would deftly carry any bodies off the mountain, down to the nearest township, and drop them off close by the nearest human hospital. It was more incidental than it was on purpose. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He scowled at the paperwork before him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He didn’t want to admit that the probability of having a female priestess take over the shrine and its keeping would probably bring tourism back to the island and balance out the number of humans and demons there. Perhaps she could even look into the overgrowth that was there. Regardless of his opinion, it was going to be up to her as to whether or not she would accept the role offered to her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He looked over the paperwork, and decided he could make certain exceptions. Perhaps, because of the difficult nature of the shrine, he would be able to negotiate out a raise based on availability and specialty. Kagome, whether she knew it or not, was a rare specialty in her field. He pursed his lips for a long moment before he gathered the files and headed back for the top floor. Once the doors slid open, he greeted Abe.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“Please contact your father and tell him we have a problem we need to discuss with him about the shrines </span> <em> <span class="tm6">he </span> </em> <span class="tm5">chose for restoration.”</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ansatsu smirked at him, but nodded.<br/>“Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga was currently sitting on her desk in front of her, arms folded.<br/>“You should have let me know you’d offered to take the position.” He sighed. Kagome raised a brow.<br/>“Are you objecting to me taking it?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not at all; but if you had wanted to take it, we could have communicated a better mock up for you. You aren’t just any priestess.” He answered softly. She narrowed her eyes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So you know I was the Shikon priestess.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You think Inuyasha would not mention it in the stories he told of you?” Touga inquired.<br/>Fair point, she figured. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, the keyword here is WAS. I’m not that priestess anymore. I don’t know what happened to the damn thing.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s face soured at her.<br/>“What?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His voice was heavy with meaning she wasn’t comprehending.<br/>“I lost it after the first three years I had returned to this era. I don’t know what happened to it.” She answered quietly. “Sesshoumaru knows, and Inuyasha has an idea... I was pretty much drinking non-stop after a certain point. I’d lost the only things that mattered to me beyond family, the proposal was gone, the guy I loved was hitting me and there was no sign of anything getting better. Hell, I had myself convinced after therapy you were all just figments of my imagination to cope with trauma.” She paused. “During that time, I don’t actually remember what happened to it. I spent more than a few nights blackout drunk at my friends’ houses.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga ran a hand down his face as he rose from the desk.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This is a problem.” he turned away from her, then back as he paced. “This is a big problem. The jewel was never meant to be unguarded.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He swore again, loud enough that it startled her. Shaking his head he eyed her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I would strongly suggest dusting off those powers and finding that jewel.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I tried sometime a few years ago. I was sure I’d felt a familiar presence like the jewel one year, and spent about a month chasing it around Tokyo while I was going back to school to collect my diploma. I never did find it. I haven’t felt it since then, and didn’t really have the means to travel like I do now.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga nodded, and kissed the top of her head. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It will be something we can focus on later. But this is a big to-do for us. I might be taking us on a trip to see if we can locate the jewel.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome heard the elevator from the front room ping, and she watched for their guest to round the corner. She stood, as to her surprise, Sesshoumaru walked in.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kagome.” He nodded. She nodded back.<br/>“Sesshoumaru.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He looked to Touga and back to her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We had a conversation with the ministry regarding your position. If it helps ease the sting of losing this job, we have negotiated for you to receive a larger stipend as well as a bonus for additional work. It was made clear you are the best one can receive for what you do.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome was speechless for a long moment.<br/>“Uh... Thank you. Yeah, sure let me look over the contract again.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He handed them to her, and she flinched at the accidental snatch of his claw, trying to play it off like nothing. She looked over it intently, quiet for a few long minutes. While it wasn’t as well paying as her PA/Secretary position, it was at least somewhat comparable, to her surprise. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I can see making this work for a year.” She looked up at Sesshoumaru. “Why do I feel like there is a weird catch with Sado Island. Like, I get the whole haunted thing, and its probably just a misunderstood demon, but something else about this feels weird.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga cleared his throat and eyed Sesshoumaru, a look speaking volumes. Sesshoumaru gave the barest nod.<br/>“Sado Island is one of our most recent ancestral homes. The land you would be purifying and bringing back to heel is ours. More specifically, Sesshoumaru’s, as I prefer to live here in Kyoto.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome resisted the urge to smack her forehead or pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation.<br/>“Of course.... So the demon family I’d be working in tandem with will be... You, Sesshoumaru?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He gave another small nod. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Right.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She sighed heavily. Looking at Touga she pushed herself up from the desk. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I think we should go out to dinner, Touga. You pick this time.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Surprise sparked over his face, but he nodded as she gathered her things.<br/>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru stood quietly for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. She beat him to the punch.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’ll let you know what I decide in the morning, Sesshoumaru.” She pushed past him, Touga close behind her as he stared after her. Touga’s protective hand on her waist made her both anxious and calm, the sudden flare of Sesshoumaru’s youki not helping sooth her now frayed nerves. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5"><br/>*<br/><br/>Instead of eating out, Touga had decided to bring her to his townhouse and have sushi delivered. She had taken up his bathroom, and was sinking into the three person tub, turning the jets on to focus on her lower back. Luxuries like this would be gone come March if she decided to accept the new offer. It brought back one of the conversations she’d had with Touga about doing something useful. It wasn’t that she was worried turning down the contract would make her look like a hypocrite; but had more to do with the undeniable fact that she would be working in proximity to Sesshoumaru, and specifically Sesshoumaru. The last few months had been a much needed break, even if he occasionally lingered in the back of her mind like a skulking presence. Touga had the grace to give her some personal space, even going so far as to light candles for her bath and letting her soak as he reread the new contract information at her behest. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Everything seemed to be in order, and it wasn’t the contract or even Sesshoumaru being on the island. It was the idea that she would be on an island for a year in mostly solitude unless it was someone who could afford to come visit her. And while she appreciated that it would be mostly Touga and Inuyasha, it bothered her to be so isolated from people. One of the things she’d learned about herself and her lesser days was how much farther down she fell when she felt like she was alone. There was nobody to stop her from falling back down into a well of bad memories and take the bottle away from her. She stretched in the tub, banishing the thoughts, reminding herself that the nightmares had begun to settle when it came to past mistakes with all of the luxurious closure she had gained in the last six months. Settling back in she let the jets work the tension out of her lower back and hummed happily, closing her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She must have fallen asleep in the bath because she awoke with a start when Touga’s hand touched her shoulder. She blinked at him and yawned, noticing her pruney hands.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Right.. I should probably get out. Is dinner here?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He nodded, and padded over to the door where his oversized bathrobe hung. She rose from the tub after unplugging the drain, and was rinsing with the sprayer attached to the bath when she noticed Touga staring. She smiled looking around for a moment.<br/>“What?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He gave a haphazard shrug. “You may be inclined to stop and stare if you could see yourself in this light.” She stepped out of the bathtub and pulled the robe from his hands.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’ll be right out after I get dressed.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He nodded again and quietly left the bathroom. Once she was alone again, she dried and pulled on a pair of old gray pajama shorts and a matching gray camisole. Putting her hair up, she exited the bathroom and joined him at the table, where he was reading over the last pages of the contract. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, boss man, what do you think?” She jumped to sit on the counter beside where the paperwork was and he chuckled.<br/>“Well, the wording is pretty well binding. You’ll be stuck there, with the exception of certain events outlined in the contract for up to a year. They added a pregnancy clause as a way to get out of the shrine work.” His eyebrows waggled at her and she punched him.<br/>“The trade off is a no go for me.” She protested. He returned her punch with a targeted pinch at her sides and she yelped. “What? That isn’t a good enough reason to have kids with me.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh? There is criteria to meet?” He questioned, laughter in his eyes. She scowled at him.<br/>“Of course there is criteria. And that’s not a conversation I’m even willing to have with you right now, idiot.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He feigned hurt.<br/>“The way you treat this boss of yours! So abusive!” She laughed as he moved between her thighs, claws tickling along the top of her skin. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he settled there.<br/>“What do you think, Inu Papa?” She asked softly. “Should I take this?”<br/>He shrugged.<br/>“My opinion means nothing, Kagome. I am not the one with so few years as to decide what you will do with them. I will admit to being intrigued to see what you decide, but that is the extent of our opinion.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She nipped at his chin the way he usually did her and he growled approvingly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I think I’m going to take it. I know we have other things to concern ourselves with, but I...” She paused and leaned back on the counter. “I have this feeling. If I take this, I’m going to find what I’m looking for.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga nodded.<br/>“Very good.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome looked over Touga’s features. He was an open book as he blinked those silver lashes at her, and she took refuge in it.<br/>“What about this? Would you say this is over?” She asked cautiously. He smiled at her, that handsome face that crinkled with warmth and happiness every time he did it that made her stomach melt.<br/>“Kagome, I will always be here. Believe it or not, Ruishi is still very much alive, and we do copulate when the urge hits her. I am here when you need me.” Kagome tamped down the jealousy she felt in the pit of her stomach that was quickly banished when his hands began to run up her belly and over her breasts, pushing her to lay back on the counter for him. He towered over her, pulling her forward and grinding into her core gently, slowly. Kagome moaned at the feel of his length separated by only a few layers of clothing, and she looked up at him with hooded eyes.<br/>“Take me to bed, dirty old man.” She teased. He growled at her, covering as much of her as he could reach with his body before pulling her completely off the counter and walking towards his bedroom with her in his arms, throwing her onto the bed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She shrieked gleefully as he came down after her, pulling her shorts and camisole off with that mischievous grin he liked to use against her. She was wet and ready well before he was even half nude. He was playing with her wet nethers, tapping and stroking with light fingers before he pulled back with that damned grin. He slowly pulled at both sides of the tee he had been wearing, making a show of pulling it off in front of her. She giggled and sat up, watching his little strip tease. He tossed the shirt over her face and when she removed it with a laugh, she saw he had his thumbs inside the waist band of his pants, thumbing the top button open and pulling the zipper down. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Almost the second he did, his hardened member pulled free of the pants. He ran a single claw around one of his nipples, drawing a line from there down the middle of his stomach, over the hard plains of his abdomen, and then wrapping around his cock to pump it slowly. Kagome licked her lips inadvertently, and she watched as he stalked towards her, cock throbbing outside the jeans he’d put upon arriving home. He took her thighs in both hands, pulling her sopping self towards him and his stiff cock. Pushing it down so he could slowly enter her, Kagome leaned back, arching in bliss and let him take the reigns. She loved how unhurried he was, reveled in the time he took to touch every part with reverence. His cock was fully seated inside of her and he began a slow pump of that long, thick length. She let her eyes drift shut again, the smooth unhurried slide building an already slow simmer to a small fire. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She felt his mouth on hers, tasting her with one swipe of his tongue and moving his mouth over her, fanning the flames hotter. How he did it with just his mouth on hers was beyond her, but the burn in her loins was aching and painful. She grasped the sides of his face, urging him to keep loving her mouth as she passed her fingers over the sensitive shell of his ear. The motion made his hips buck against her harder, and she groaned. When she leaned back again, his mouth turned to her neck, licking and nipping at her neck, sucking the flesh into his mouth and laving it with his tongue. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">All of her gasps and coos as he pumped into her came to a fever pitch as she tugged on strands of his hair. He sat up, pulling her thighs farther apart as his motions became more focused. The tension in his face made her arch into his motions, and his claws began absently stroking the flesh around his hands. One of her thighs was wrapped around his hip, the other over his shoulder and his cock was positively thrumming inside of her. Biting her ankle gently, she cried out and clenched harder. He grinned against the abused flesh and began to pump faster, harder, sucking on the flesh of her leg beside his face. It wasn’t long before she had clamped around him calling out to him and desperately grabbing at the down comforter. She whimpered underneath him when he didn’t stop, merely slowed so she could catch her breath. It was apparent by the way he was looking at her, he intended to bring her again by the intense focus in his eyes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He began the rhythm anew, more erratic and much less forgiving. One of her thighs was laying flat on the bed and he held on to the leg he was letting rest on his chest as he pounded into her relentlessly. The position made it difficult for her to do anything but lay back and see stars as the intensity of what she was feeling built up all over again.<br/>“Cum with me Kagome.” He groaned. “I’m close.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She couldn’t speak, her legs beginning to shake. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Good.” He rasped before biting her ankle hard, fangs sinking into the flesh. She screamed at the pain and pleasure that crashed over her with the motion, her hips jerking up on their own accord even as her legs shook uncontrollably. Kagome held back the stream of expletives she wanted to say, her body still spasming with sunbursts of heated pleasure through her body. Touga finally released her leg, licking the blood once before letting it slide down his side so he could roll his hips slowly into her as he finished in a series of long, hot spurts. He nosed her cheek, nipping at her ear and kissing her face as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.<br/>“Gods... Touga... So fucking good.” She whispered when she could finally find her voice. His forehead was as slick with sweat as hers, and he gave her another delightful grin.<br/>“Speaking for your lovely body again...” he breathed through his nose, gathering himself before he pulled from her dripping entrance and they both groaned. He lay beside her as she began falling asleep, touching her belly and side, clearly content with his work.<br/>“I’m going to Sado Island. I wish you could come with me.” She sighed softly, eyes heavy. He pressed another kiss into her temple.<br/>“You are fully capable, and fearsome on your own. Besides...” He paused chuckling darkly. “I’m not sure I could go very long without you in bed. I don’t believe you are an experience that is easily replaced.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She barely heard the last part as she had drifted off to sleep.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are always greatly appreciated, Gaby &amp; Juliastes! Constructive criticism is welcome, as the goal is always to become a better writer.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Detachment's Adversary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The following morning Kagome woke alone in Touga’s bed. The smell of bacon or sausage, something savory, made her stomach grumble and she slid out of the bed to search for a shirt. She found her shorts and the tee he’d tossed at her, so she donned it instead and padded to the kitchen. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What's cooking good lookin’?” She inquired. Touga was sitting at the table, drinking a small glass of orange juice and he looked up and over at the older woman standing at the stove.<br/>
“I’m not sure - smells delicious though.” He commented offhandedly as he returned to the morning paper. Kagome looked over to the kitchen.<br/>
“Are you sure I can’t help with something?” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga shook his head, chuckling.<br/>
“No, my dear. That is what my darling house-maid is for. Sit. Relax.” He motioned to the small pitcher of juice that had been left on the small table he was sitting at. She acquiesced, and sat awkwardly, fidgeting with her fingers before pouring a bit of juice for herself in the cup that had clearly been left out for her. She cleared her throat.<br/>
“So where is the contract? I should probably sign it.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He motioned to the kitchen counter where the pile of papers had been tidied despite their rambunctious behavior last night. Rising, she grabbed the stack and returned to the table, picking up the pen that was settled atop the file before flipping it open. She reordered the papers and found the last one, staring at the empty signature line for a long time before the pen she was rolling between her fingers found the paper, and she signed quickly. She slapped the file folder closed and pushed it away.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It's done.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga paused in his reading, taking another sip of juice. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You sound unsure. Is this truly what you want?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome stared at the file.<br/>
“You know, I’m not a hundred percent sure. But what’s a year of my life living in the woods again? I’ve done it before. I can do it again.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s reaction was veiled humor, and he was doing poorly hiding it. She huffed and crossed her arms.<br/>
“I can!” she insisted as the maid brought over a plate of grilled sausage patties and eggs, placing the delicately before them. Kagome thanked her and she picked up a fork. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m not used to having people serve me in a house. This is a rare exception and means nothing.” She glared pointedly at him as he laughed at her now. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">”... these are delicious...”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga and Sesshoumaru seemed to square off when she arrived at the top floor the following morning to turn in signed contract work. He appraised her scent and her casual wear, and assumed she would be taking the day after the decision. Touga had taken up a defensive position behind her and had a schooled expression Sesshoumaru was used to seeing in his own mirror. Clearly, the old man had grown more attached to the priestess than even the old dog had anticipated. Kagome handed him the file and folded her arms over her chest. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“There it is. Signed. When should I expect the welcome package?” She asked. Sesshoumaru motioned for her to follow him, and paused when Touga moved to follow.<br/>
“Only the new hire.” He tossed over his shoulder and continued, opening his office door for Kagome. Upon closer study he noted she was wearing a shirt far too large for her own body type, and the light jeans squeezing the curves of her hips had the excess tucked in the back. Even her hair was curled and rumpled like she’d just rolled out of bed. What unsettled him was how strong his father’s scent was on her. His beast was thoroughly displeased by it. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His computer was settled on an ergonomic desk he could stand at, and he tapped through a few things before hitting print on the official welcome packet PR had pulled together for the shrine keepers. The papers were promptly settled in a blank manila folder and he handed them to her. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She was quiet as she read through the folder, leg crossing. He noted she was wearing the same strappy black heels she had been wearing at the office yesterday and was beginning to piece together exactly what she had been doing in his absence. Cracks were appearing in his carefully crafted indifference. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The file flapped shut and his eyes snapped back up to meet hers. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So I’m actually moving sooner than March. I didn’t know that three out of four had already been moved.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We finished earlier than anticipated with the original contracts. They had signed the contracts and agreed to change the dates last week, allowing us to start moving them to their respective destinations.”<br/>
“Mid-October is kinda toeing the travel line, isn’t it?<br/>
Sesshoumaru’s brow raised impassively from where he stood at his desk.<br/>
“You sound unsure.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sighed.<br/>
“I only just moved from Kashiwazaki to Kyoto, and now I’m moving again, even farther away from family. Of course I’m a little nervous.” She responded curtly. “I also thought I’d have until next year to pack and get ready. Good thing half my stuff is still in boxes.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She stood, arms in front of her with the file, appraising him expectantly.<br/>
“Is there anything else I should know?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s mouth went flat.<br/>
“We suggest a review of company policy regarding inter-office relationships.” he drawled, turning back to the screen. "You may go.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">He could smell her scent flare, clearly embarrassed. The door slammed, and he could hear her heels clicking angrily on the marble as she stomped away, and her irritation brought a smile to his face.</span> </p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome could feel Touga staring at her in the elevator. She crossed her arms over her chest, the manila file in her hand.<br/>
“What?!” She snapped. Touga put both his hands up. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We’re not about to be purified asking you the wrong question. Tell us when you’re ready.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Guilt trickled over her. It wasn’t as though it were only Touga’s fault for Sesshoumaru’s comment. It took two to tango, and she had willingly come to him. The ridiculous pooling of guilt in Sesshoumaru’s favor is what bothered her. She didn’t want to admit she was having more trouble moving on than she originally assumed she would. And she was the one who had called it off. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m.. Sorry. Sesshoumaru’s just being an asshole.” She said softly through her teeth. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“There is ever time he isn’t?” Touga joked. She gave him a strained smile but was still lost in thought. According to the papers Sesshoumaru had given her, she’d be leaving as soon as her things were packed and she called the number he provided to have the things moved. He would give her an allotted week to have her affairs sorted and to give her things time to arrive at the shrine before she would need to begin fulfilling her duties as its Keeper. Perhaps it was for the best, and it would be like ripping a bandage off. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A hand on her waist made her flinch hard enough she jumped and Touga’s nodded towards the open doors. They were on the ground level already. She blinked before moving out of the elevator.<br/>
“I think I’m going to go shopping and grab a few things. I’ll call you when I have a minute.” She said absently as she walked off. Still, his gaze followed her, and she moved quickly to go home to change her shoes so she could begin the process of moving all over again.</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*<br/>
<br/>
The afternoon passed quickly, and before she knew it, she was struggling with read-to-make boxes for packing. It blurred by quickly, and when she had the kitchen packed into one large box, it was night time. She was tired, but something about it didn’t feel right. There was a numbness in it all, and it felt like she was going through motions. Detachment, was what Ayumi had called it. She could feel it happening as she opened another box to start putting the bathroom away, separating the things she was going to pack in a travel bag. It didn’t hurt, but it did frighten her how easily it was coming to her. Trying to access those feelings, her connections, were harder than she thought. Ayumi had warned her in order to feel a sense of grounding, she needed a support system, and when she started feeling the numbness that was currently creeping up on her, to begin reaching mentally for those relationships that were in her life.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">When she looked up again from her work, she realized that everything in the bathroom had been packed as well, and she was no closer to her mental anchor. Frustrated she sat back on the bathroom floor and resisted the sudden urge to go buy a bottle of cheap whiskey. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal"><em><span class="tm6">‘Don’t be dumb, Kagome. Alcohol is a depressant. Call a friend!’</span></em><span class="tm5"> Ayumi’s perky face had popped into her mind to scold her and she laughed to herself before nodding. There was the anchor. Mentally, she sprang forward for it and hung on for dear life, feeling warmth return to her chest. Change was normal, she reminded herself. If you weren’t constantly learning, you were dead. She pushed the box out to the receiving room and called it a night.</span> </p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So you’re moving to Sado Island. What the hell? I thought you just moved?” Eri complained. After she had the first couple boxes packed, a few days later she called in the crew to help her finish a little faster.<br/>
“Now hang on, you guys are focusing on the wrong thing.” Yuka called from the bedroom. “Sado Island has some awesome countryside and beaches! Oooo! Look at this little number!”<br/>
She came running out to the receiving room with the monokini Kagome had purchased for her beach weekend pressed against her chest.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What about that hot guy you were with the when we were here like, last week. What happens with him?” Ayumi asked. Kagome was folding clothes for boxes.<br/>
“Well.. He told me he didn’t have any opinion, and that he was here whenever I needed him.”<br/>
Eri made a fake retching noises.<br/>
“He sounds a little too well adjusted for me.” She said with a roll of her eyes. Kagome laughed.<br/>
“It is weird to messing with someone so stable.” She couldn’t help pausing as she thought about it a little harder before she tossed a sardonic grin at Eri.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You do love your bad boys.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Speaking of bad boys...” She said..<br/>
“I didn’t say it last time, because I got distracted by that hottie outside your door. But I have a bit of news!” Eri said. All heads came up and looked in her direction. She fiddled with the pocket on the black pants she was wearing and pulled a flashy gold ring that had a fat diamond on it and slipped it perfectly over her finger. “So, Tenshi proposed, and we’re getting married!”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Yuka and Ayumi rushed the beautiful ring, cooing and complimenting as Kagome hung back. She was happy for her, but couldn’t help the sudden pang of jealousy that struck her.<br/>
“Have you picked a date, or are you still just in the engagement throes?” Kagome teased. Eri grinned. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Still in the throes, but he wants to set the date sometime in the summer or fall next year. Says he likes the colors much better and I look prettiest in red.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">As the girls continued to gab, Kagome continued to pack. As the day wore on, the girls said their goodbyes and eventually Kagome was left with organizing the boxes for the moving crew to come in and pick up. Everything she owned was eventually in a neat pile by the door, along with a duffel bag with a weeks worth of clothes and hygiene products. She called the number in the packet, and they confirmed a pick up time for later on in the day. With that, she sat in the recliner that was waiting to be shipped, leaning back and nearly falling asleep when she was awoken by a knock at the door. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She yawned, stretching her back and arms and checked the door. It was Touga. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, leaning her head noiselessly against the door as she tried to decide what she wanted to do. It felt childish, avoiding him the way she was - but it also felt easier than getting more attached than she already was by spending the last few days in Kyoto with him. He’d called at least a dozen times, left two messages and stopped, but now he was at her door. It almost wasn’t even a fight with herself, and that was part of what made her feel so guilty about being able to not answer this door. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Just as she had made the final decision not to open the door, her phone rang loud in her pocket. She swore and fumbled with it to turn the ringer off, but knew it was a moot point. His ears could easily pick that up from where he was standing. She finally answered on the third ring.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You know, we can smell you on the other side of this door. If you’re going to disappear, hang the phone up. But I would hope you’re a bigger woman than that, Kagome.” She’d heard the Dog General cross with Sesshoumaru before, but it was the first time she’d heard his irritation directed at her. She didn’t say anything, but unlocked the door and opened it to him before hanging the phone up. He dropped the phone to his side with a look of disapproval, almost disappointment. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m not sure what we did, but I deserve an explanation for your sudden distance.” He said softly from where he was standing. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do you want to come in?” She asked. He crossed the threshold as soon as the invitation was out of her mouth, and went to the kitchen to lean against the counter with his hip and crossing his arms with a look of expectation drilling holes in her. She fought the urge to squirm under the weight of his gaze. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t have an explanation, Touga.” She finally said, unable to look him in the eye as she fidgeted with the corner of the marble counter.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I just figured with how sudden everything was this was going to be easier for both of us. I’m here, and practically tomorrow I won’t be. And that’s fine.” She babbled, filling the space between them with words. His hand on her cheek roughly bringing her to face all six five of him and his lips against hers shocked her, eyes wide before his insistent mouth brought them to a close and stole her breath. When he finally pulled away, he was speaking against her lips.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I told you. I’m still here until you don’t want this anymore, and that ends as soon as you say it does. Not because you happen to be a little farther away. Saying nothing is not an answer for us.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His mouth pressed softly against hers in an open kiss, drawing her breath again.<br/>
“That’s just the thing. I don’t think I’m ready for this to be done, but I..” She hesitated. “I really don’t expect you to wait for me, and I don’t know how I feel about knowing you’re with someone else. I don’t have the tolerance for sharing that you have, Touga.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He laughed darkly against her, and it was then she realized he had slowly been closing the distance between them until her body was in a tight line against his. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You think I have a penchant for sharing?” His entire face was dark, almost angry. “We do not. Don’t mistake our patience for tolerance. Our son had you first, and we gave him every opportunity. Even now, we give them to him and he has yet to come for you.”<br/>
Kagome could feel her legs beginning to quiver, even as her mind wanted to fight with him over what he was saying.<br/>
“If he does not come for you, I’m claiming you for myself.” His rumble reverberated from his chest and through her nethers. The passionate darkness on his face suddenly lightened with a good-natured smirk. “That is, if you let me.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">That made Kagome laugh in his arms, only encouraging him to poke at her sides until she was rolling against him with laughter. His face had softened as had his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Don’t avoid us. Don’t be sad. Don’t think this is the end of anything unless you say it is, Kagome. How many times must we say it?” He teased, pressing a slow kiss against her forehead. “We’ll spare no expense for one as beautiful as you.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She looked at him, quiet joy spreading over her face and into her belly. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So where are you staying...” He looked around the empty apartment. She looked over her shoulder and shrugged. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I was going to just sleep on the floor until I leave at the end of the week.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga tsked at her. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“No. Now that we have absolved the problem of your silence, you will stay in the guest bedroom at the town house... That is, unless we can convince you to spend your remaining evenings in our bed..?” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She laughed again, feeling far less dark than she had at the beginning of this change.<br/>
“Quit making my life easy. I don’t need to be getting used to this.” She feigned frustration and kissed his blue stripe. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We stop for dinner first. I can tell you haven’t been eating.” He picked her up despite her startled yelp and strode for the door, grabbing her duffel. One experimental lift and he glanced at her, puzzled.<br/>
“This is all you’re taking?” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She nodded.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to overpack. Easier to get on and off a train and a boat. I’ve been told that a cab can take me to the shrine, but I’ll find out when I get there. I kinda wanted to make the trip feudal style.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga stared at her for a moment before he laughed boisterously, continuing out the door and down the hall.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are truly a marvel, Kagome.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Put me down, you dork.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are greatly appreciated, BlackLacedCherry, mim, Gabby, and Juliastes! Constructive criticism is welcome, as becoming a better writer is always the goal.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Sado Island</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome knew spoiling her and being a desk jockey was eating into her stamina for more active things, but as she stared at the road leading to the Shrine she would be tending to, she realized perhaps she should have spent a little more time training. She readjusted her duffel and headed for the Ryuo Daimyojin Shrine on the coast of Kanoura Bay. The map she’d been provided says she was roughly a two mile walk along the roadside, and the fresh air would do her some good. She started her journey and when she was about half a mile in, realized maybe she’d bitten off more than she could chew. She rested before heading another mile and when she was half a mile away, she marveled. There wasn’t much where she taking up her new residence, but the scenery. The lush forest of the Kitakatabe mountains on one side and the sea of Japan on the other made for the most beautiful swirl of green and blue. The sun was bright, shining on the island. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome marveled at the deep rich color as she walked and she felt her heart tug. The last time she’d been in a natural environment that had inspired her so much was walking Feudal Japan with her friends back then. There was bittersweet pain in remembrance, and while the apprehension of leaving a comfortable job had nearly swallowed her, there was a huge part of her that was grateful she’d decided to move to Sado. The view alone made it worth the move. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She finally arrived to the grounds in late afternoon, which was protected by a National Park entrance. A small building stood beside the rail that kept vehicles from entering. The park keeper emerged from the tiny building and stopped her.<br/>
“Good Afternoon! My name is Aidan, welcome to the entrance of the Ryuo Daimyojin Shrine! I’m afraid we are declining visitors, as we are in the process of renovating.” The young man, now named Aidan said. She blinked at the young man and felt an odd pulse of energy from him.<br/>
“You must be one of the demons I’ll be working with!” Kagome said aloud, fist in hand at her realization. She bowed at the waist. “Higurashi Kagome. I’m here to purify the grounds and update the shrine traditionally.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The park keeper started. “Oh! Okay! I was told you’d be here either today or tomorrow by Lord Sesshoumaru!” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">That had her pausing in her bow before raising back up. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Right. And he’s the other.” She sighed. “Well, I’m glad to meet you, Aidan. Can you show me where I’ll be staying while I’m here?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He nodded and ducked beneath the road block the small bar, motioning for her to follow with a wave of his hand. Kagome studied the young man, and realized his plain features were a part of the odd, buzzing vibration coming from him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Y’know, demons and humans are learning better and better to co-exist. You don’t have to wear a disguise around me, or anyone else for that matter.” She commented. Aidan blinked at her as they walked along the road and smiled.<br/>
“Right. I forget sometimes. It's just weird to be stared at all the time.” He said offhandedly. The buzz slowly dissipated as did the barrier he was using to appear normal. Once it faded there were a mass of differences that changed the shy looking bookworm to someone else entirely. It threw Kagome for a moment and she did exactly what he had just said he didn’t like, staring as she compared what was, with what had emerged. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan had originally had shorter black hair, glasses, and a lithe unassuming figure. While his unusual height stayed the same, he seemed to get taller when brilliant blonde, almost white hair emerged from the barrier, and his lithe figure filled out a little more. Sure, he was still skinny for a guy, but his eyes had gone from humdrum brown to brilliant orange, almost. His eyes slid over to her and he laughed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yeah, that look right there.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She apologized profusely, pausing and flustering. “I really didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, its just the difference is so stark!”<br/>
He scratched the back of his head, looking off into the distance towards the shrine when she realized under the khaki work shirt he was wearing, his arms were covered in tattoos as well. She could see a myriad of different colored green and teal scales on one side, and on the other was a firey mixture of reds and oranges that faded over the backs of his hands into pale flesh like a sleeve. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The came to a stop in front of a small building that he pulled keys from his pocket for.<br/>
“We haven’t received anything from the company yet, but I’m sure it’ll be here before you know it. Until then, the keeper’s quarters come with its own mattress. I hope you brought your own blanket!” He suggested with a small nervous laugh. “We stopped keeping blankets when we realized mice were using them for nests. Double check the mattress too, just in case.”<br/>
He unlocked the front door and led her into the tiny house and turned a knob for the main light to come on. The building was completely open floor. There were no walls to separate any one part of the building. As soon as you walked in, there was a small, dated refrigerator to her left, followed by a kitchen counter that had a sink and faucet. There were cabinets under the counter, but the pipes for the sink weren’t hidden and left completely open. There was a back door with a screen that lead toward the back of the small building. To the back right of the building, there was a dingy old curtain hanging to separate the old porcelain tub and toilet, and immediately to the right as soon as you entered the door on the far right wall was a fireplace. The mattress had been shuffled to the center of the building and she stared. Going from a one bedroom apartment in Kyoto to a lean-to shack on the cliffs of Sado... Kagome smiled. She could do much worse.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">There was a streak of excitement that stabbed through her, and she grinned at Aidan, who had come to a stop in the middle of the room and was now staring at her as she was standing in the doorway. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, thank you for the grand tour! I’ll settle in. Do you live here on the grounds?” She asked. Aidan nodded.<br/>
“There are a few more of these little cottages on the park grounds. Mine is closer to the front of the park, whereas yours is closest to the shrine itself. Its the most neglected, but I promise its the prettiest when the tiger lilies are in bloom.” Aidan answered. “Let me know if you need anything while you’re here.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Actually..” Kagome paused, not wanting to put him out. “Do you have any cleaning supplies? Like wood oil soap and rags, bucket and mop, broom?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, we have an old broom I guess?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome considered his answer and decided one of the first things to do was create a list of things she needed. She headed to the middle of the room and unrolled the sleeping mattress, checking for evidence of mice and finding none. It was a little musty, but that wasn’t something she couldn’t work around. She walked past Aidan towards the back door and opened it. Behind the building was plenty of room before getting to the cliffs. There was a rusty laundry line, as she suspected. Going back inside, she pulled the curtain to the bathroom back, running the water to ensure its quality and checking the pipes of the building before she let Aidan leave. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Once she was satisfied everything, including the electricity was working, she thanked him for his time and told him she would be back later on.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She clapped her hands and pulled her phone from her pocket, tapping out a list of things she needed. The money she had left Kyoto with would easily cover all of this and a little more so she could spruce the cottage up. Rolling out the sleeping matt, she put her duffel at the head of the mattress before stepping out. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">From the front of the cottage, she followed the dirt path towards the shrine towards the cliffs. The breeze picked up, and the waning warmth of summer drifting into fall. The walk alone was peaceful, and the sound of waves gave her a fuller sense of self even as it released her from the binds of negative human energy. As she followed the path, it was hard to see anything she would want to change. All of it seemed so old world, and everything in that felt too precious to change. The cliffs were protected by old wooden fencing that looked to be hand made from driftwood, and as she moved towards the tiny island the actual shrine was on. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She was almost there when she stepped on a certain portion of the path and felt a wave of spiritual energy hit her like a hard gust of wind. It made her start back for a moment before pressing on into what was clearly a spiritual barrier of some kind. The inside of the barrier made her skin crawl with its power. Now she understood why this shrine was chosen. There was nothing like this in the shrine at home. It wasn’t like there weren’t powerful spiritual items housed and kept at the old shrine. But this was completely different. This kind of power didn’t come from just items. This power was bonded with the land somehow. Perhaps it would be worth exploring the history of this part of the land since she had left the feudal era. Blessedly, that left a concentrated number of years to request the research. But she understood why they were requesting this shrine be maintained. Kagome decided to treat it as more of a research project. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She had finally come to the part of the trail that began winding up the small island. The first building was the washing station. It looked like water was being used from the sea and poured in as clear as it was below, and was very small, almost more like a tiny pavilion. The shrine building itself was small, and upon inspection, mostly made of natural wood that had been fairly well maintained over the years. Two large, dead looking trees grew on either side of the building that had been built in a small clearing of the surrounding rocks. Kagome approached respectfully, saying a small prayer and leaving a small offering regarding the shrine. She prayed for confidence to care for the grounds in the best way possible, to be lead to do so with courage and kindness. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">When she was done, she wandered the ground for a bit longer, exploring and trying to find the source of the spiritual pressure on the island and failing to find anything recognizable. She headed back the way she came and marked the portion of the path with a stone where the pressure began for future reference. She yawned and returned to her cottage, settling on the mattress in the middle of the room. Grabbing her phone, she took a quick picture from the doorjamb of the cabin, showing her new living arrangement with a smile before sending out a mass text letting friends and family to know she had arrived safely, and that due to concerns with the house’s ability to charge her phone, she would be limiting its use and turning it off at night. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">With that, she pulled a sweater over her head and put on a pair of socks to avoid getting cold before curling in on the mattress and falling asleep, using her duffel bag as a pillow.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It was late when his phone vibrated at his home on Sado, as he’d been wandering around the balcony on the second floor when it buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and pressed his finger into the scanner to open the phone. It was a forward from his father. It appeared Kagome had arrived, and was spending her first night in the crappy cabin beside that damned dragon shrine. Sesshoumaru paused for a long moment, and decided to see for himself. He masked his presence before bolting away from the balcony and landing comfortably on the park’s land. He sniffed the salty air delicately, confirming her scent before walking towards it. The wind had picked up, and was caressing his hair over his shoulders. His black button down was shifting restlessly as the breeze ruffled it.<br/>
“My Lord, what brings you to the shrine?” A sultry male voice greeted. The demonic protector of the Ryuo Daimyojin’s shrine stepped into the moonlight. Aidan’s markings were showing stark against his pale face. He was dressed in a pair of white hakama, tied with a crimson obi. A woven gold chest plate adorned his upper torso, along side a matching pair of arm cuffs. Aidan’s markings waved with his body, smooth like the stroke of a brilliant colorshifting pen. At first you may mistake the red for orange, but upon closer inspection, you’d realize it was a deep copper, the color of poorly healed scars. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We come to greet the priestess blessing the shrine, nothing more.” He answered flippantly, moving past the demon, who bowed as Sesshoumaru passed.<br/>
“Higurashi Kagome. She is a powerful priestess, and was made uncomfortable by the concealment barrier I’ve been using. I dropped it at her request.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fine. You are dismissed.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Very good, My Lord.” Aidan departed, gone in a flash of yellow and red. Once he was upon the shrine, he realized he could feel the spiritual energy spilling out of the building. It seemed to search him for a long while, passing over him in sparking recognition as he moved up the steps and entered the cottage noiselessly. Sure enough, at the center of the run down crap shack, was the Shikon Priestess herself. She had an oversized pullover on, nose buried in the sleeve, a pair of black yoga pants, and thick white socks. Appraising the room, it appeared the only thing that belonged to her were the clothes and the duffel she was sleeping on. Sesshoumaru was displeased at the state of the shack, but there was nothing to be done about it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He had promised as a protector of the land, he would do nothing to financially benefit or inhibit the process. It was meant to be left to the human government’s discretion so they could properly gauge the cost of retaining healthy spiritual activity in modern Japan. The true nature of the Harmony project was not just to restore shrines that needed it, but also to experiment with what was still in the land, and how to best call upon it. These were not things he had the clearance to go over with his team of consultants, if only to avoid their interference with what the Ministry actually wanted to accomplish. Only the Four Demon Lords knew the true nature of the project, and had agreed for multiple different reasons. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shifted and groaned in her sleep, softly saying his father’s name before burying her nose deeper into the sleeve of the pullover. Sesshoumaru’s claws bit into his fisted hand, drawing pinpricks of blood. Of course; Touga’s scent was on the hoodie she’d worn to bed. Her restless motions had pulled the sweatshirt up, revealing a small patch of exposed skin on her side, and she shivered in the cooler night air. He stepped over the threshold and pulled the sweatshirt down over her hip to cover it.<br/>
“Hmmm.... Sesshoumaru..” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He hesitated at his name, hand stilling on the hem of the garment. She was still asleep, he could sense it by her breathing alone. Her fingers whitened on the mattress, and her breathing quickened. She was having a nightmare. Sesshoumaru released the garment, and tentatively stroked the dark hair covering her cheek back over her ear.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sleep in peace, miko.” He rumbled quietly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She seemed to whine in protest before he hushed her again and stroked her scalp gently. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sleep in peace.” He repeated softly. She hummed but there was no more cold sweat and her racing heart began to steady. Once he was certain she was back to comfortably sleeping, he left the cottage without making a sound. At some point, each demon lord was to meet with the keeper after they had begun to do the footwork that was requested. Preferably the more attached they had made themselves to their work was the best time to appear to the keeper, so the true nature of the project could be revealed to those worthy of investing spiritual energy into it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru paused before leaving the cliffs, watching the waves roll in lit by the moon. Sado Island had always been particularly beautiful in the summer and fall. He felt the soft grass and sand between his toes, connecting him to the earth as the wind picked up again. Tonight felt like a good night to romp around the mountains. He stripped his shirt and pants, leaving him naked and comfortable in the cooler night as his reiki burned along his skin while he transformed. The beast emerged, peaceful and quiet in the presence of the priestess barely a block away. He burned the clothing with his acid before padding towards the edge of one of the cliffs, finding a good spot to jump and landing on the beach. The waves lapped at his paws, and the salt of the air was sharp, refreshing.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Shaking his massive white coat, Sesshoumaru stretched his forelegs and then his back legs, and then trotted along the sand before breaking into a sprint along the beach. Nothing felt better than stretching his power. He could feel pleasure race along his spine, and while the comfortable peace he’d been harvesting recently had helped contain his beast, pacifying the miko did something old for his soul that put his beast in a good mood. For the rest of the night, the demon lord raced along the coasts of Sado Island until he was tired enough to return home in the small hours of the morning. He landed on the large balcony with grace, slipping back into the confines of his human form as naked as the day he was born, then padded to his massive round bed, flopping stomach first into the white down comforters and surrendering to sleep that had been eluding him the past week. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are greatly appreciated, BlackLacedCherry &amp; Juliastes! Constructive criticism is welcome, as becoming a writer is always the goal. <br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Work Work Work</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome woke dreary and sore. She hadn’t slept on a mattress like that in years, and she popped and crackled as she stretched in the morning light. All things considered otherwise, she slept deeply, with a feeling of security. She glanced around the cottage and nodded. Today she’d see about her things at the post office. Perhaps they’d been delivered there and were simply waiting for a signature. She dressed in her comfortable flowing black pants and a white tee shirt before slipping on a pair of sandals and throwing the sweatshirt over her body again. It still smelled like Touga’s natural musky scent, which she found comforting. She made her way to the front of the park, the long walk waking her. When she arrived at the small booth at the entrance, she searched for Aidan and when she found nothing, she headed for where he had pointed out his house. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She knocked on the door and waited for a long minute. When the door opened, the young man’s face was scrunched with sleep, clearly unhappy about being woken so early.<br/>
“Can I help you, Miss Higurashi?” He said, clearing the sleep from his throat as he stood in the crack of the door he opened. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I was wondering if maybe you had a vehicle to drive into town with, or a bike?” She inquired softly. He looked at her like she’d grown a third head, leaning back to look into his cottage. She realized then he was standing completely naked and hiding his intimates behind the doorjamb. Flushing she looked up to the ceiling to avoid the temptation to look down. When he turned back he noticed and grinned at her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Apologies, let me dress.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He closed the door, disappearing for a moment before reappearing in a pair of boxers and motioning for her to come in. Kagome stepped in carefully. Orange light poured from the covered windows, and she could smell a rich coffee that made her stomach rumble. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Lady Kagome, please make yourself comfortable.” He pointed towards the table as he pulled one of the coffee mugs from the counter where coffee was brewing. Upon further examination, this cottage had been upgraded to accommodate newer appliances. She frowned, but made no complaints.<br/>
“Can I pour you a cup of coffee?” He asked. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes please, thank you very much.” She answered, still looking around. The layout was the same, one room with a curtain separating the restroom. For the most part, in the darkened orange light it looked fairly tidied except for the mussed bed in the corner. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan came to the two person dining table beside the door and sat, sliding her cup to her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t keep cream or sugar, apologies.” He said quietly. “Now. As I was just about to say before my natural state bothered you, it is far too early for the post to be open. They are still sorting mail at this hour. We can leave a little later. There is a small truck we use to run into town for supplies while we are here.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Of course.” She answered, flushing. “I guess I’m just eager to get my stuff. I’m surprised its not here yet.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan shrugged, drinking deeply from his coffee mug. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I should warn you, we had a bad storm about a week ago. There were a couple of ships that lost cargo...” He looked up from his mug. “When the seasons begin changing, storms get pretty bad. There are always two storm seasons.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, taking a drink of the coffee and groaning into the cup. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This is perfect.” She sighed, relaxing in the chair.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Isn’t it?” A deep voice commented behind her, patting her shoulder. Kagome jumped, sloshing coffee all over her lap and swearing when she turned. There was another man behind her in the same state of dress as Aidan had been when he'd answered the door. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Pardon, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He said with a charming grin. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome blinked at him, then looked at Aidan, who shrugged.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Miss Higurashi, this is Ryusaki. He stays to keep me company most days.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryusaki gave a sassy laugh despite how deep his voice was, giving them both a lovely view of his pale hind end. He was the same build as Aidan - tall and lithe, perhaps a touch shorter than Aidan with larger muscles. She couldn’t help but stare as he ambled towards the bed, plucking a pair of discarded black sweatpants from the floor and sliding them up his legs. When he turned, he gave her a lady-killing smile, gaze shifting to Aidan.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“A cuppa if you would, Aidan.”<br/>
He scraped his chair back as Ryusaki took it. Kagome could see he was also covered with tattoos, though the light was a little harder to see what they were.<br/>
“Well m-met, Ryusaki.” She flustered, trying to shake out some of the coffee that had spilled on the white pullover. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why don’t you hand that over, I’ll get that stain before it sets.” Ryusaki’s voice made her shudder. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Has anyone told you, you have the sexiest voice?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryusaki stood and leaned over the table, his long dark hair brushing the top. He clearly enjoyed the rise he was getting out of her as he planted his hands wide on the table. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“All the time.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He crooked his finger. “Sweatshirt.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome started to pull at the hem of the garment before she hesitated. If she washed it, the smell would come out...</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Come now, we don’t have all day.” Ryusaki urged, pausing before chuckling. “I mean, we do, but its never taken me this long to strip someone of a garment.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Be gentle with it. Its borrowed.” She finally said, pulling it off and handing it to him. He moved to the bathroom curtain, grabbing his cup as he passed Aidan. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I really didn’t mean to interrupt your morning...” she said softly. “I can leave and when you’re ready you can get me at my place.”<br/>
He waved her off, sitting back down where Ryusaki had just been, observing her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Don’t mind him, he flirts with everyone. One of the down sides to being what you humans refer to as bi?” He tilted his head, before shrugging. “Ryusaki and I are more of the cold blooded nature, and do not like being cold at night. Affection comes with sharing a bed, so we have an open relationship this way. Most demons do.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome fought her blushing, trying to push down her discomfort. “I’ve noticed!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Would you like some toast? Or perhaps a refill, now that half of your cup is on the floor?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“A refill would be great.” She said, handing him the cup. Ryusaki returned and snatched her cup off the table.<br/>
“Allow me, as I am the one who caused this calamity.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He was quick, handing her the refilled cup before finding a stool beside the counter and pulling it up.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So you are going to be our resident priestess. How are you liking your digs so far?” Ryusaki intoned. Kagome shrugged.<br/>
“I really can’t answer that just yet. It feels homey, but I want to check the roof and maybe make a couple updates so I can safely charge my phone.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The dark headed man laughed, his baritone voice rumbling deeper than she’d ever heard a human capable of.<br/>
“You’re in luck - part of having me around is my nifty handyman skills. Now that someone is in that broke down piece of shit, I finally have an excuse to start fixing it up a bit.” He gave Aidan a pouting face, sipping his coffee. Aidan paid him no mind, looking still asleep where he was sitting. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Aidan has not been letting us making anything other than the basic improvements to the area.”<br/>
“Not letting you spend my paycheck on a government building that should be updated on the </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">government</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5">’s dime is not an issue worth rehashing.”<br/>
Kagome gave Ryusaki an apologizing look. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I hate to say it but I’m with Aidan on this one.”<br/>
Ryusaki gave her brow wiggle.<br/>
“I will not be surprised if you are more often than not. I am the dreamer. Aidan is the anchor on the ground.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Balance is key.” Aidan drawled, yawning. “Now. We should probably make breakfast and prepare for the day. Park opens in two hours. Post office will be open at the same time. Ryusaki, if you would be so kind to escort Lady Kagome into the town, I will man the booth.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fantastic.” Ryusaki answered softly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome kept her eyes on her coffee, avoiding anymore awkwardness and taking a few sips. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Breakfast passed without incident and Kagome helped with dishes before they got showered and dressed (with her outside, as she had no desire to be in the building with them naked together). If she hadn’t known any better, she could have sworn she heard a high pitched moan coming from the little cabin, but she had decided to take off towards the booth to keep from disturbing anyone. Ryusaki pulled up in the truck a few minutes later in a beat up little Toyota. Aidan got out of the truck’s passenger side and held it open for her, shutting it quickly behind her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Grab me a pack of cheap ramen while you’re down there, Ryu. Good luck with your boxes, Lady Kagome.” Aidan gave her a wink and smile. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Once coffee set in, it was fascinating how different a person was once the caffeine settled in. Aidan came around to the other side of the truck and kissed Ryusaki on the forehead, opening the park’s gate to let them out. Now that Ryusaku was in the daylight, she noticed many traditional Japanese tattoos and patterns decorating his arms in colorful sleeves, going up under the black short sleeved shirt he wore with the faded, worn jeans he was wearing. He almost looked like a gang member, wearing his silver rings and thick black chain around his neck and his hair in long spikes. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“My dear, you’ve been staring. Is there something you would like to ask, or am I just pretty?” Ryusaki preened. Kagome hid her laugh behind her arm.<br/>
“I’m sorry, you really are a handsome man.” She answered. “Even your voice is beautiful.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do stop before you give me a bigger head than I deserve, darling girl.” Ryusaki said with a charming grin. “Speaking of beautiful men, did I detect a hint of Taisho Touga on that sweatshirt?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome gulped and nodded. “Yeah. I’m guessing you know him?”<br/>
Ryusaki’s face became a touch irritated.<br/>
“When Lord Stick-shoved-where-the-sun-don’t shine visits, Touga is usually with him. Always brings a parting gift, which is nice when you work such a boring job and being paid peanuts for it.” He glanced from the road to her with a snarky grin. “The REAL question here is how you know him will enough that you have his clothing on your back..”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She blushed.<br/>
“We might be sleeping together occasionally.” She said, unintentionally straightening. He laughed at her reaction.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“My dear, don’t get defensive, it’s just a question. Do you know Touga’s son, your employer?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes; actually I was working as Touga’s PA before I accepted this.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryusaki bobbed his head. “That explains that. Touga sleeps with half of his PA’s. Does not surprise me at all.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome winced, feeling cheap at the comment. If Ryusaki noticed, he didn’t say anything, instead continuing to make conversation.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What the hell dragged you away from a salaried position? Don’t tell me Touga’s poly lifestyle put a hitch in your waddle?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome blinked at him. She was learning all kinds of interesting things today.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“No, no that wasn’t it. They were having problems filling this role, and I offered to take it if nobody else would. I have experience shrine keeping with my family among other things, and nobody stepped up right away, so here I am.” She said, fidgeting in the seat.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Thats.. You’re an odd one, Lady Kagome.” Ryusaki said, side-eyeing her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She raised a brow at him but would take it as a compliment as the pulled into the parking lot of the Post Office.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome got out of the truck, and Ryusaki settled back, drawing a cigarette and lighter out of his pocket.<br/>
“Waiting on you today, boss lady.” He commented off handedly through the lit smoke. She nodded and headed in, smiling at the post master who was staring at the dark haired man.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hi. I’m Higurashi Kagome, and I have been waiting on some boxes that were supposed to have shipped here. They wouldn’t have come through here, would they?”<br/>
The post master finally looked at her.<br/>
“Uh, well let me see your last name and I’ll check the back.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome wrote her name on a slip of paper and waited patiently for a few minutes before the post master came back. He gave her a sympathetic smile.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m afraid for packages this large you’ll need to head to the dock’s warehouses. They keep the larger stuff squirreled away there.” He wrote the address down on another piece of paper.<br/>
“Thanks!” She gave him another beaming smile and returned to the little green truck, handing the address to Ryusaki who took a drag off he cigarette before opening the door and stomping it out in the parking lot. He drove to the place on the paper and put it in park.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’ll escort you in. No need to draw too much of a scene, but sometimes the dock can get a little rough.” He said softly. The approached an office outside, and an older woman was seated, going through paperwork when they entered. She looked up.<br/>
“Can I help you?”<br/>
“My name is Higurashi Kagome, and I’m looking for my stuff. It was supposed to have shipped a while ago.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The woman frowned and stuck her hand out.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You have a tracking number for it?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome dug into her pocket and pulled her phone out, writing the number on the slip of paper with a pen laying on the desk, handing it to her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The older woman tapped out the number, then retyped it, and tapped it in one more time for good measure before sighing heavily.<br/>
“I’m afraid I have some bad news, Miss Higurashi. Your boxes and furniture were part of the cargo lost during a storm a week or so back.” She shuffled more papers around before realizing she had the computer in front of her and instead, clicked a few times, printing something off on special paperwork. She handed her the paper, which turned out to be a check.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You did have your things insured for a small amount, so this is the settlement. I have some paperwork for you to sign before you go.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome stared at the check with dismay. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her beloved coffee table and recliner had been washed away, along with all of the brand new dishes she’d just gotten. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryusaki’s hand came up and ruffled her hair.<br/>
“That's a pisser.” He exclaimed. “Looks like we are shopping for some new furniture today.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shook her head and sighed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Its fine. I’ll... I just need a couple things. Clothes, for instance. Pretty sure what’s in the duffel will be okay for a couple months but I might need some more underwear at least.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Kagome and Ryusaki headed to the nearest bank so Kagome could cash the check and had decided to use the insurance money to replace her things. Then she went to the nearest clothing store and found a few packs of plain panties, socks, and two extra bras. After that, was a trip to purchase sheets and bedding for her new abode, and once that was done, to the store to buy basic supplies and a little bit of food. She also made it a point to buy cleaning supplies, including a broom, mop, brushes to scrub the floor and the like. Ryusaki had driven her back to her new home and she had insisted she would be fine on her own. With that, she settled in for a long day of cleaning.</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Cleaning was the worst, Kagome decided as she fell back on the floor of the cottage. Everything smelled like the wood oil soap she had been scrubbing with since this afternoon, except the bathroom which had been bleached and sterilized. While she’d been out, she had also grabbed a new shower curtain to replace the old dingy sheet that had been hanging on the ceiling. The sleeping mattress had also been replaced with a new one, and while she’d not purchased any other furniture, she had at least bought another rug to go beneath the sleeping mattress so the floor wasn’t so cold when she rolled out of bed. At least she wouldn’t have to clean this deep again for a while, she mused.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She turned and pushed herself over to her duffel, snatching up her only towel and toothbrush, as well as her soaps and settled them by the tub. She’d need to purchase something to set everything on, she noticed as soon as turned on the shower. She made sure the back and front doors were locked before she stripped for her shower and turned the water to heat it. The pipes groaned, but eventually produced clearer water that was lukewarm at best. Another thing she’d need Ryusaki to look into, she sighed. She stepped under the spray of water and lathered, feeling better after a good cleansing rub down. Once she was done, she dried her hair off as best as she could before wrapping the cold towel around her and stepping out of the shower. She rustled through the bag once more, finding a common gray short sleeved dress and a pair of warm black wool stalkings. Dressed and a little less chilly, Kagome headed for Aidan’s to see about her sweater. Ryusaki had kindly laundered it, and no sign of the coffee stain was left. She thanked him profusely before turning back the way she had come and walking the path towards the shrine. Upon arriving, she prayed and had another look around as the sun settled on the horizon. She sat on the steps grateful for her opportunities and once she was satisfied, she headed back to her cabin. Opening the door she started at an unexpected guest.<br/>
“Hello, little priestess.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are always deeply appreciated, BlackLacedCherry, Mariangela, &amp; mim! Constructive criticism is always welcome, as becoming a better writer is always the goal!<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Bother</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga grinned from the middle of the cabin. He’d taken it upon himself to light some candles he had clearly brought with him and was now staged in the middle of her futon, dressed in an unbuttoned, unzipped pair of faded black jeans. Touga had even gone so far as to loose his hair around him. Kagome stared at him as she leaned against the doorway, amused.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You look ridiculous, Touga.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He pouted, falling back on her new comforter dramatically.<br/>“Darling, I worked so hard to set the mood!” <br/>Kagome shut the door behind her softly and made her way around the room, blowing one candle out at a time. There was one in each window, one in her bathroom, and a few on the counter of the sink. Once she’d made it to the kitchen, she paused at the second to last candle, surveying his face as she fought the grin trying to spread over her face. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Whatever brings you to Sado Island at this time of night, Mr. Taisho?” She asked softly, leaning her back against the counter. He had been watching her as she blew the candles out, his eyes growing hungrier as she passed. <br/>“Why, to see my favorite priestess, Miss Higurashi.” His voice thick with lust, sitting up attentively with his legs crossed. Kagome slipped off her flats and made her way to the center of the room, standing inches from his feet.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m afraid you caught me at a bad time, Mr. Taisho. You see,” she began, “All of my clothes and furniture have been lost at sea, and I’ve been left without my favorite coffee table and recliner, as well as being short on clothes.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Toga gave her a genuine frown.<br/>“So now, I only have the clothes on my back. Which means you’ll have to be gentle with them.” She offered him a foot, pressing down on his right knee. He took her knee between his hands, giving the inside of it a gentle kiss.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m terribly sorry for the loss of that ugly -” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome made a noise of protest.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Lovely,” he corrected with a snarky smile, “one of a kind piece. May I offer my deepest condolences...”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He peeled the wool stalking down a little bit, pressing his lips against the bare flesh.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“.. my apologies..”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It was tugged down a bit farther, making her stomach flutter with anticipation.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“.. my sincerest regrets..”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He had tugged the stalking all the way down to her ankle and was pressing a kiss into her calf.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“At your loss.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The piece of clothing was off, and he kissed the top of her foot sweetly, making Kagome’s eyes fluttered closed. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck you are a vision when you want.” Touga breathed against the smooth skin of the inside of her thigh. “Your scent is one of a kind.”<br/>His hands pulled at her dress, pushing it up over her hips with ease before pausing and blinking at the plain cotton panties she’d purchased earlier in the day to replace what was lost.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I could have sworn I sent you off with better than this.” He groused. “I’m assuming most of your finer clothing is now property of the sea?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sighed and nodded. <br/>“Not the best of days, today. Hopefully a little bit of stress relief will make it better.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s rolling growl gave her more butterflies as he attacked her, flipping their positions so he was on top of her again. His claws tickled down her other stalking, slipping it off and throwing it away as he made short work of the panties too, and before she even saw the lap of his tongue she felt the heat of his breath on her. Crying out, she bucked into his mouth, still halfway clothed and clutching his silken hair, riding his face as much as he would allow while he plundered her.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru had decided to come down off his mountain home again to check on the priestess in the late hours of the night again, hoping a mere touch would alleviate the tensions in him as they had the night before. His foot delicately toed the grass of the shrine grounds and felt something was off. He took a tentative sample of the air and his lip curled as he strode for the priestess’ cabin. The smell of sex was heavy, like overwhelming perfume and the participants were far from quiet. He paused at the side window a fair bit away, and saw what he was hearing, smelling. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga was on his knees with Kagome’s back pressed against him. He held her firmly by the hips and was driving into her from behind in sure, rolling strokes. Her arms had wrapped around the back of Touga’s neck, legs around his thighs and he could clearly see where they were joined in their coupling. Kagome’s sweet voice was in the throes, and every time Toga licked at the sweet spot at her neck and bit, her siren’s song got louder, more impassioned. He could hear her calling his sire’s name, hands buried in his hair and all Sesshoumaru could focus on was just how beautiful she looked in the candle light. Never mind his rage, the anger trickling through him with the old dog as he took his pleasure with Kagome. No; something had changed in her and there was a beautiful glow about her. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It pained him to consider that she had never looked so beautiful on him. Not glowing like amber being held under a torchlight. Sesshoumaru watched for a while longer, wanting to see her break apart so he could replay it later, and wonder on it. It wasn’t long. Her voice hitched and Touga’s movements became harder, more focused. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Tell me you love me..” He heard Kagome breath.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Cum for me, love.” He growled. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes...” She mewled. “Yes..!”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her mouth fell open in a silent scream, like she had lost her voice and was struggling to find it. Once she did, it was a shrill cry into the night, and it didn’t stop as Toga continued to play with that swollen pearl at the top of her labia with expertise that only came with having coupled with Kagome many times before. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru turned away. Suddenly, her words made more sense. He understood what she meant when she’d said she needed more. Every touch his sire had made, every stroke, was made in what she needed. Filled with a tenderness Sesshoumaru did not participate actively in, one that was foreign to him and could only be described as deeply loving, learning. Regret poured through Sesshoumaru in that instant as the wind howled around him, laughing at his plight. The only concession was the coming year - Toga spent his time in Kyoto, and as head of the company he would be able to force Toga’s schedule. Upon arriving to his home in the mountains he remembered he had another small piece to bargain with. One even Touga didn’t know about, that had been carefully concealed with all manner of seals and the mediocre blessings of a hundred priests and priestesses. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">In the basement of the mountain, surrounded by bedrock and concrete and all other manner of natural metals sat the Shikon-No-Tama, resting comfortably on its stand where it was quietly displayed. Beneath it’s pedestal were the swords that were the Inu no Taisho legacy. Somehow, he had stumbled across the damn thing in the street one evening. Touga had always believed the Gods had a plan for everything, a place for everything. The filthy gutter where he’d found it laying, nearly about to be swept away with no keeper to be found was a surprising place for the Gods to leave such a valuable piece of fate. Not one to let a bargaining chip go to waste, he collected it in his pocket and had ensured after sparing, as his father would say, no expense, to have the jewel consecrated and placed. That didn’t mean whatever he had commissioned had worked as its protector was meant to. Sesshoumaru did wonder since he’d finally found her when she’d realize her sacred duty to the jewel was not forfeit yet.</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
  <span class="tm5">Kagome slept peacefully for two hours before she woke. Touga had thoroughly exhausted her to the point of not wanting to be anywhere but under or beside him. He was sleeping comfortably as she put on a pot of coffee with the grounds she had so kindly been given by Aidan the day before and was quietly appraising the naked demon lord barely covered by the white sheet she’d draped over him. Kagome sipped the hot brew and felt her stomach flutter as he shifted, the hefty muscles in his abdomen clenching as he settled again. She knew, deep down none of the things he’d uttered while they were fucking were true. At least not enough to set her heart on it and count on it as complete truth. Touga did indeed guard her heart, of that she was sure, but to truly love it was another thing entirely. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha’s warnings were not lost on her. It stood the test of time that all of the dog demons she’d known, even the wolves, tended to be lecherous and occasionally conniving. They loved their attention, and once they got what they were after, were very much like a dog with a bone. They’d chew and chew until they got bored or another started sniffing at what they felt was theirs. The only reason Touga was still a part of her day to day was that he could afford to be there, and had put real effort into keeping her happy. She knew there was a special place for her in his big heart. But something felt off. And she wasn’t sure if it was her, or him. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She still struggled not to call Sesshoumaru’s name during sex with Touga, and every now and again, when he whispered the things she deeply needed to hear, she could almost hear Sesshoumaru's lips forming them. It probably was mostly her. Even then, Touga had insisted that it wasn’t hurtful when she tried to talk about what she’d been feeling. He’d been far too understanding, like he knew what they were doing wasn’t going to last, and it bothered her. He wasn’t ready to let go, he’d made that clear when he’d come to her apartment after her avoidance. She hadn’t been ready either, but at the same time, she wondered what they were waiting for, and how long it would take to finally be ready to let go, if ever. Kagome took another sip of coffee before sitting down on the bed, placing the coffee mug at the head on the floor as she slung one leg over his hips and lay on his chest. The warmth he gave off made her sleepy, even with the coffee in her. His arms inadvertently slipped around her back and waist, squeezing the flesh of her bottom gently. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His growls rumbled through his chest to sooth her, she’d learned. Somehow, he was always sensitive to her emotional state and when she needed the extra comfort, it came in little licks to her chin or rumbling vibraton through her entire being. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Little priestess, you should be asleep.” she heard him say quietly. “What has you so distressed you wake up and make coffee without us?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m not distressed. Its nothing. I’m fine.” She insisted softly. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fine, like fuck, is a four letter word, but not nearly as fun as the latter.” His observation made her laugh lightly. She moved so she was straddling his belly, arms supporting her chin as she looked down at him.<br/>“You’re not wrong.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She nipped his chin lightly to reassure him before moving down. When she made it to his navel, he had begun to take in deeper breaths and gave her a warning growl.<br/>“Little one, do not start that which you can’t finish.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She could feel the rise of his arousal against her stomach as she continued down, nuzzling the trim patch of silver there. Her teeth caught the sheet shielding him, and she eyed him as she pulled it down to uncover his swelling cock. His face looked pained with need, and when she ghosted her warm breath over the tip of him, he grunted.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kagome...” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He didn’t utter another word as she enveloped him in her mouth, suckling him sweetly as she listened for his every hitch in breath and marking down the ways she could make him moan. She only released that turgid length when she herself was good and wet, ready to take him in. Stalking back up his body, he hissed in pleasure as she impaled herself on him and began to move slowly.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck. Kagome...” Touga growled, attempting to sit up. Kagome gave Touga a hard shove, pushing the steely demon back down at her request as she rode him to her leisure for the rest of the morning.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They shared a shower afterwards, drank a couple cups of coffee, and Touga was off, back to Kyoto with a promise he would send her a care package for her furniture. He was hardly gone five minutes when another of the Taisho clan arrived. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru walked through the park barrier where she was coming back from in a traditional hakama and kusode. There were deep navy silk, ruffling in the wind of the cliffs.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Good morning, miko.” He greeted. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Good morning, Sesshoumaru.” She returned. “What brings you down here so early?” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He continued along the cliffs. <br/>“Checking progress. We were here in the evening to bid you a good evening, but were unaware you had a guest.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome stopped as he walked along. She knew what he was prodding at, and she wouldn’t back down.<br/>“Touga can tell when I’m stressed or worried. He came to alleviate some pressure.” She said flippantly. “He’s very thorough.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s eyes slid over to her after she had jogged to catch up with his stride. “So we noticed.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her face was flushed deep red, and he was having an oddly hard amount of time discerning if it was from embarrassment or anger. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Just how late were you here, Sesshoumaru?” Ah. So it landed on anger. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We don’t believe you will be pleased with the answer.” <br/>He continued on towards the shrine, hands tucked in his sleeves. The comfortable and flowing clothing of the old world put his restlessness a bit more at ease as he walked along the dirt path toward the shrine. <br/>“You seem to enjoy pissing me off lately, I’m surprised you would pass up the opportunity to do it again.” She shot. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He held back a smirk. Her mouth and temper would be the death of him. He leaned back, watching her puff up with anger. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We were there late enough to see the creative position with Touga on his knees behind you in a style that you seemed to particularly enjoy.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her reddened cheeks deepened in color. Sesshoumaru had already decided in his plan of attack on this problem once he’d regrouped last night. The first was to tuck away any resentment towards the lech, and treat him like a well protected enemy on the front line of this battle. To become angry would only tell her that Touga mattered in the grand scheme of Sesshoumaru’s plans. He didn’t.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Right now, Kagome was quietly plodding alongside of him as they walked for the shrine, seeming to expect him to respond somehow. She’d be sorely disappointed. The arrived at the washing station for the shrine, which was devoid of water. The wood was worn and needed tending. Even the path looked like it needed a little tending. The shrine itself was the same, worn, but not broken down. Care of the wood it was built out of would take a gentle hand and time, which they had. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">That was not the problem Sesshoumaru was sensing. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Surely, you have sensed the barrier around this spit of rock.” He said as they followed the path around to the tip of the cliffs. Kagome nodded, not meeting his eyes.<br/>“The shrine itself was built to soothe the soul of the dragon, who rested its head where the shrine was built before it died. There is a secondary barrier that is in place created with the dragon’s own reiki to hide the real entrance of the shrine.” Sesshoumaru continued. Kagome’s eyes lit with fascination. <br/>“That doesn’t sound like a problem..” She grumbled.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is not. We have not finished.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her arms crossed and she huffed, waiting for him to continue. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Recently, with the shrine being without a keeper to manage the rising spiritual pressure and use it for anything constructive, the dragon’s soul has become restless. It was brought to our attention you lost your belongings in a storm, as the ship we commissioned to bring the goods over was sank. This is part of the problem. The shrine needs to have a proper keeper that knows how to purify the demonic energy residing in the skull without completely destroying it. From what we have gathered, the natural order and weather pattern is part of the dragon’s existence. In its prime, no humans were allowed to build on Sado Island nor were weaker demons that could not compete with the dragon’s strength. It’s storms were legendary, and the loss of life was extraordinary. We took ownership of this land when we killed the dragon. Its corpse is wrapped around these rocks, and the two trees on either side of the shrine are the horns it bore.”<br/>He paused, waiting for questions. Upon receiving none, he continued.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The horns are an indicator as to the spiritual satisfaction of the shrine. The dragon’s bare horns symbolize the rising demonic energy and dissatisfaction. Storms occur when the island is out of balance, and in the last few years, the number of ships going down in this area carrying precious cargo to Sado Island have been unacceptable. Do you understand your role in this?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, thinking.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So what were to happen if the body were completely purified..? Is there a reason why you can’t take over where the dragon left off? Technically,” Kagome reasoned, “You’re the reason the island can’t recover if you don’t step in to it’s roles.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru raised a brow.<br/>“We are already attempting to heal the land as the humans have scarred it with their rash needs, and the western lands are much larger. Sado Island is where we are giving humans the example they need to confirm spiritual presence is as important as eating, drinking, breathing. We cannot be held accountable for the entirety of Japan. We are powerful, and appreciate the overconfidence but it is not possible for any one demon to take responsibility for the land’s health.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I wasn’t talking about all of Japan, you arrogant asshole.” Kagome snipped. “I was only referring to the island.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru sniffed, closing his eyes as the wind tousled his hair. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Our statement stands. We cannot be the CEO of a company and never leave this island. In the greater interest of the world, it would be better to out-source the appropriate measures that were put in place the first time this problem arose.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The wind picked up, and Sesshoumaru could sense electricity in the air. Speaking of storms...</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We must go back before the weather catches us.” He droned. Kagome didn’t argue. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The reached her cabin and Sesshoumaru paused.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I feel like you want me to explain.” Kagome sighed. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru studied her, and finally realized she’d been defensive and on guard all day. Exactly as he expected. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You bedding the lech means little to us. You are your own, and make your own decisions; why would we desire to ask about such a temporary arrangement?” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He could smell the tears smarting at the corner of her eyes and his lips pursed. He hadn’t meant to make her cry. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Right.” she cleared her throat. “Have a good day then.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She turned and opened the door to go inside and Sesshoumaru moved before he was aware of it, holding the door shut. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It was not said with the intention of being cruel.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome was deathly still on the step up to the cabin. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is easier not to care than admit it bothers us. ”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He released her door and launched himself into the sky before the rain started, leaving her to stare up into the sky after him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are always deeply appreciated, BlackLacedCherry, DaisyStPatience, Milomai19, and mim! Constructive criticism is welcome, as becoming a better writer is always the goal!<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
<p>~*~*~<br/>SPECIAL AUTHOR'S NOTE<br/>We, your humble servant to the Sesshoumaru/Kagome (and apparently, Touga) shippers have a short hiatus notice to give much to our dismay. Please be aware, I will be posting as often as time allows, but this month requires us to be away for a bit longer. Have patience, this story is far from forgotten and probably will be finished before my darling readers even realize it. <br/>Much love, <br/>EC Cougar</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Peace Offerings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sat on the stair of the cabin as he disappeared, frustration rolling through her. She wanted to be angry with him still, wanted to keep blaming him for all the lost years and mistrust. There was still hurt there she hadn’t absolved, and forgiving him felt out of the question and dangerous. But when he’d stopped her from going inside, there was no flare of panic, and she felt a foreign ache deep in her soul at his admission, that was not an admission. Lightning streaked on the horizon, thunder rolling in after it as a perfect companion to the multitude of arguments she was hosting in her mind. It was moments like this she realized Touga’s companionship helped calm those demons. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Clearly, she was still harboring feelings. Talking to Touga hadn’t been helping her let go in the way she was wanting to, or she wouldn’t be this bitter, she realized. The first sprinkling of rain hit her face and she still couldn’t find it in her to go inside yet. She wanted to unpack all the boxes, and just like it happened back at the apartment before she left for Sado, it was harder to reach those mental vaults than she expected it to be. She wondered if it wasn’t time to call Ayumi and ask her why she was having so many problems with this lately. Ayumi had asked her how she was the last time she was at the apartment, and when Kagome had told her she’d been tempted to drink she could tell Ayumi wanted to deepen the conversation. The other girls had arrived, and stopped her from embellishing, so Kagome knew Ayumi was on to at least a portion of her struggle. Chances were, at some point she would call Kagome to make sure she was okay, like she usually did. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sighed, rubbing her temples and when the wind pushed the rain to needle her skin, she retreated inside to put on some tea and change. The wind took a turn for the worst, and now the rain was coming down in sheets over the cabin. A dripping sound caught her attention and she realized the roof was leaking in three different spots - one of them was directly over her new mattress. She swore under her breath and moved it until she found a spot big enough it wasn’t leaking, which just so happened to be right next to the tub and was now blocking her back door. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The temptation to cry over these back to back to back setbacks was nearly overwhelming, if only because she was trying to deal with her feelings in this mess too. And it hit her like a box of bricks - this reminded her way too much of her teenage self. She wasn’t growing - she was going backwards harboring this anger and bitterness.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay.” She said out loud, clapping her hands together. “I’m fine. Not the four letter word fine, FINE. These things happen, and I’m not going to let this stop me from doing an awesome job while I’m here!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“WAY TO GO!” Ryusaki shouted behind her. Kagome shrieked, falling to the floor in an unseemly heap from her seat on the bed. He’d opened the door behind her and was standing under a rainbow umbrella, snickering at her. “Hang on, I’ll come around.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome gathered herself up as he entered the front door, still laughing to himself. <br/>“Didn’t mean to interrupt your pep talk, but I wanted to drop by and make certain your roof wasn’t falling on you.” He said with a charming smile. “Aidan says hey, and you are welcome to join us for a spaghetti and meatball dinner.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, now that she was done choking on her own heart. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I do have a few leaks that need to be fixed. And I do have a few questions about restoring some of the wood around here. Maybe when the weather is better we can go about discussing how to fix some of these things.” Ryusaki nodded. <br/>“I noticed the big boss man happened to drop by last night, and the western Lord just left. Everything okay?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Just meeting Sesshoumaru regarding the shrine and its duties.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryusaki nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, dinner is an open invitation.” He turned and exited with a small wave. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Next time knock!” she shouted after him. “Its rude to just walk in!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The rain didn’t let up for the rest of the day and the following. There was a brief window of where Kagome thought she would be able to head to Aidan’s cabin and was crushed midway by another torrential downpour of water. By the time she made it to the front step, she was knocking furiously on the door. Aidan opened the door and quickly let her in.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What in the hell are you doing outside other than catching a cold?” He fussed, grabbing a towel from the rack next to his bathtub and insisting she sit while he rubbed her hair dry. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I know right? Without a net too...” she groused. “I had a couple of things I wanted to go into town for. A rain slicker would probably be a good purchase, as well as a couple more buckets to hold all the water coming onto my floor from the roof.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan grimaced. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Right. I forgot. Your cabin is a bit more rustic than this one.” He left her with the towel and found an umbrella.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, it looks like your plans are shot for the day. From what I can tell on my weather app, we’re in for a couple days of storming. We can try going into town tomorrow during the day with the lowest probability of rain for a tarp until we can fix the roof. Until then, let me get you back to your cabin.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Have you any fire wood inside?” Ryusaki piped from the kitchen. Kagome shook her head. He sighed. “We’ll spare a little bit. I’ll carry it over with the other umbrella. But add it to your to-do list. We’ll need to make a run to the woods for fire wood when it dries out. Last thing we need is for you to freeze come wintertime because you didn’t prep this summer.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sighed again. <br/>“It’s like I forgot how to survive outside and I have a perfectly good place to live WITH electricity. Damn I’m rusty.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan patted her head.<br/>“Its alright, not all humans are cut out for living in the wilds.” He teased, helping her up and grabbing up the umbrella. He also snatched up a couple buckets stashed under the sink for good measure. They walked back to her cabin and placed buckets, waiting for Ryusaki to bring the fire wood. Once he had arrived and started a solid fire, they made sure she had started a good pot of tea.<br/>“I’ll give you a call in a few hours to check up on you, okay?” Aidan said softly as he was escorted back out by Ryu. “I’m leaving you my umbrella, use it if you need to go anywhere. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded and once the door was shut, she went about changing out of her wet clothes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~<br/></span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s travels had left him a shade damper than he anticipated. Instead of knocking, he let himself into the cabin Kagome was staying in to get in and out of the ran, the door slamming shut behind him as he set aside the plastic bag he had transported the items he’d brought as a peace offering on the kitchen counter. Looking up, he realized the priestess was covering her top half with her arms, flushed and soaked from head to toe. Her skin glistened with water, black hair matted to her head and black pants clinging to her posterior. <br/>“You are wet.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome swallowed.<br/>“Not the first time I’ve heard that from you, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be the first time you hear it from me.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru smirked and moved to the fire, putting his back to her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Apologies. We merely brought an olive branch from the last time we spoke.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Olive branch?” Fabric rustled and he could hear the curtain attached to the bar on the ceiling move. A glance over his shoulder from where he stood, dripping at the fireplace, showed she was using it as a wall between them. Not that it hid much. He could still very clearly see her movements, the outline of her silhouette. Her breasts, though small, had filled and she had gained healthy weight where she hadn’t had it when he first met her in this era. She was toweling her hair off, brushing through it quickly and rubbing it dry again before she hurriedly dressed.<br/>“Yes. Consider it a peace offering and truce. It is common knowledge as well these cabins are not very well insulated; we wanted to ensure you were not being drowned.” He answered slowly, gaze returning to the fire. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I see. What’d you bring me?” She ventured. He chuckled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“After calling Touga, we collected some of your preferred brands. We believe it is black tea, honey, miso soup mix among other things.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He was met with a long silence, only the soft whisper of clothing as she moved to slip it on. The curtain came back and she emerged in a black tee and matching yoga pants with a pair of thick black socks. The entire outfit made Sesshoumaru’s mouth twitch. It hid nothing, and every soft curve she’d gained in the last few months was a stark contrast to the slip of a woman she’d been. Her eyes however, were a calm brown, even as a frown marred her face. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You really are soaked.” She tapped her finger to her mouth, looking around and sighing. “I don’t have anything for you to wear, but... I guess you can use a towel while your clothes dry if you want?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He shook his head. <br/>“We are resistant to most diseases. It is rare this one catches a cold, and this rain is warm. The fire will be sufficient to dry, however we will take the towel.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She pursed her lips but nodded. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The cabin’s fireplace works well. It appears to need maintaining though..” Sesshoumaru said after looking around the cabin at the multiple leaks and buckets collecting water. Kagome emptied a bucket into the tub for good measure. <br/>“Yup. It’s not that bad, though. Aidan said we could try going in to town for tarps tomorrow until we can fix the problem, and cement can fix the fireplace. Small things.”<br/>Kagome handed him the damp towel she’d been using before she turned to rummage through the bag he’d brought.<br/>“Sorry... Its the only one I own.” She tossed casually behind her. Sesshoumaru stared at the cloth that had just been sliding all over her body and felt his stomach jump as he scented her throughout it. He cleared his throat, and began to rub the moisture out of his hair. She wasn’t joking when she’d said lost everything. Perhaps it would be in order to bring the car down and drive her to the other side of the island for better shopping. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is a bit out of bounds... Perhaps we can help you with replacing some of the things you lost. More as a working courtesy. It will not hurt to take a day so you can replace those-” He nodded towards the tin cup she was pouring hot water into to make tea, “With something a little less cheap.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">She raised a brow as she turned with her newly made cup of tea, leaning her hip on the counter. Sesshoumaru did not understand what had happened to him. For hundreds of years, even when he knew the priestess intimately in the feudal era, it was never this hard not to touch her. His fingers positively itched with nervous energy he was barely holding below the surface. Perhaps it was because instead of the white flag he was raising publicly, he knew he was preparing for a full assault on the relationship between she and Touga. His confidence in winning since her rejection had been cut very short. It was a sting he had not expected. It wasn’t the first battle he’d ever lost, but he felt like he was losing the war, and with the way he’d been feeling towards her, it was unacceptable.</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">*</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“You know, she invited you to the beach that day. It wasn’t just me. I could tell she was thinking about you, she was so quiet with all of her loved ones there.” Touga said, inhaling on a cigar that smelled sickly sweet. Sesshoumaru said nothing. Was nothing sacred? The codger had decided to crash his library and was filling it with cigar smoke as he read.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“She still has feelings.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">Sesshoumaru smirked from behind the book he had curled up with on the sofa in the den. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“Do I detect a hint of jealousy?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">Touga eyed him with irritation.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“I’ll tell you what I told her. Jealousy is for the weak and the bored, of which I am only one of.” He let smoke trickle from between his teeth and fangs as he grinned at Sesshoumaru. “And while I might be bored with the state of the world, Kagome has been a flexible, vigorous, and welcome distraction from it.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">Sesshoumaru’s grin dissipated with his father’s jab.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“It's not like I couldn’t smell you outside of the cabin, boy. You know how flexible she is.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">The first edition Poe in his hand now had burn marks from the acid in his claw tips as he sighed.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“We do not appreciate your incessant hounding.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">Touga inhaled the cigar again and sighed. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“As much as I know she enjoys our affections, I’m afraid she still harbors some very deep feelings for you she isn’t addressing. I do not appreciate being used as a cover for what she really wants, and that is you, boy.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">Sesshoumaru stood and threw the book at the couch behind him, glaring at his sire. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“Why even give the advantage?” he questioned, skeptical. Touga flicked the ashes of his cigar into the lit fireplace, turning to his son. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“Because I believe encouraging your relationship will benefit in more ways than one.” He took another drag and the threw the remainder of the cigar in the fire, smoke filing from his nose in two unhurried furls. “Even if I don’t like sharing.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">He blew the rest of the smoke out with a click of his teeth before striding for the door of the library, donning the fedora that was sitting on Sesshoumaru’s work desk.</span>
  </em>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">*</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Pressing the advantage was something he wanted to do, badly, even if it was to spite his father’s advice. Touga, while annoying and overbearing since his come back to the Japanese Demon world, was still more often times correct about human interactions. It was one of his many roles as a consultant for the company. He couldn’t count anymore the number of times he’d accurately predicted what moves humans would make, and if he didn’t get it right the first few times, by the third he could clinch exactly what the thought process was and explain it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s eyes slid shut with a small smile, fingers lacing over the cup as she held it like it was made of gold. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is to your liking?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s smile was soft and lasting.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Its from the same brew the cafe used that he took me to in Kashiwazaki to insist I hire on as his PA. So yes. Very much so.” she said softly. “Can I pour you some?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru nodded as he placed the towel on the edge of the bathtub to dry, settling afterward on the floor by the fire in a graceful motion. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Honey?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“A dallop.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She nodded with her back turned as she prepared the other cup, and came to sit beside him. He took the other tin cup, incidentally brushing his clawed finger tips against her wrist. He heard her heart nearly skip a beat as he took the first sip. It heartened him to know he could still inspire physical reactions from her. She tutted and set her cup down, going to the only shelf where her brush lay and came back behind him on her knees. Taking a handful of his hair, she began to brush gently through the water tangled mass, taking care not to touch his ear as she worked. Once she was finished she used one of her ties to pull the hair up and off the wetness of his clothes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Just because its harder for you to catch a cold doesn’t mean I’m going to let it happen.” She said quietly. “You should turn around. It looks like the front is drier than the back.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru followed her suggestion, and this brought them face to face, a foot apart. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Let me know when you want to take this trip.” She said over her tin cup. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">He nodded once, and they sat in silence for a long while, listening to the rain.</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So how was spending the night with Lord Sesshoumaru?” Ryusaki snickered as she hopped into the front seat of the small truck. She glared.<br/>“He was only there for as long as it took him to dry off. And I owe Aidan a new umbrella, so remind me to grab another one while we’re out. Ryusaki’s stupid grin didn’t go away and she punched his shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Nothing happened. I sent him off with some soup and he walked home, wherever that is here.” She insisted. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Then they were off. By the end of the day, they had multiple tarps, enough roofing to repair the cabin, a few items to update the wiring, and heat friendly sealant to ensure the fireplace was up to snuff. It took a few minutes and a ladder in the rain, but by the time they had the tarp weighed down with a few rocks, there were fewer leaks inside the cabin. She thanked Ryusaki, who said once the storm system was past, they would get to work on winterizing the old cabin with her help.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We have returned safely with new ideas, and an exciting new challenge from the Citrus Discord to be met this October. <br/>Reviews are always appreciated, and constructive criticism is welcome. <br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Coexistence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru had made an appearance once the rain had subsided to help with the repairs that had Kagome and Ryusaki on the roof. Instead of demanding she come down, he began handing up supplies as needed and waited to be directed. They stopped in the afternoon for lunch, which Kagome had made rice balls stuffed with tuna and cold green tea, and by late afternoon, the roof had been re-shingled with wood shingles and weather proofed. Kagome was sweaty and her only jeans had been ripped a couple of times while they’d been working with her usual clumsiness. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I have dinner on - stewed curry and rice if anyone wants extra. I made enough for everyone, as thanks.” She said demurely. Ryusaki and Aidan both smiled and thanked her, agreeing to take dinner while Sesshoumaru had politely declined, instead leaving back to wherever he went when he wasn’t at the shrine. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They ate dinner, discussing the next few things requiring repairs.<br/>
“I’m running a little low on what I budgeted for this month, so I’ll put in a work order so we can start working on the hand washing station once we figure out what’s wrong with it.” She said over a mouth full of beefy stew. Ryusaki shrugged.<br/>
“Pretty sure it is just a leaky pipe, but I am confident it will be a quick fix. What is on the agenda after that?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s face twisted. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I kinda wanted to start cleaning and staining the wooden buildings around the shrine so they will last a bit longer, but I’m not sure if that’s something we should do in a wet winter.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryu was chewing through a larger bite of beef before he spoke. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes, staining and sealing is not recommended during wetter periods. But it is not impossible to do if we have a warm stretch, and the coldest months are at the beginning of the year. We can look into it.” He slurped up some of the curry before continuing. “It is less humid during the winter months and will set better if we do it then.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded before finishing her bowl and setting the plastic dish in the sink. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I do think tomorrow I’m going to start looking about for the barrier tomorrow.”<br/>
Aidan looked up from the fireplace.<br/>
“Barrier?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded. “There is a barrier keeping the main entrance to the shrine closed. I’ll have to find it before I go about doing anything else. I’m hoping a simple kagura dance will help dispel the negative energy, but if that doesn’t work I’ll have to call Ji back home and ask about other ways to ease the energy. The spirit is restless every time I visit the shrine.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan rose and passed her the bowl.<br/>
“Thank you for your generosity, Lady Kagome. I believe we are ready for retiring now. Shall we, Ryusaki?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The man looked up from his bowl, but managed to stuff what was at the bottom into his cheeks before handing Kagome his empty bowl and giving her a muffled thank you. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome did her dishes and washed for bed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The following day she moseyed down to the shrine in the morning mist, being sure to be washed and clean before entering the shrine’s vicinity. She approached the trees, gently touching the base of them as she searched the grounds until she came to the back. Nothing looked out of sorts in the small building, and she hadn’t run into anything other than the immense and concentrated spiritual pressure that hummed as she moved along the grounds. After an hour of searching, she sat with her legs crossed before the front of the shrine on a patch of moss, hand in fist. She knew Sesshoumau had said there was a hidden entrance concealed by a barrier... Had he been messing with her? Thunder rumbled over her and she was forced out of her musings to sound her retreat. She rose, dusting her pants off. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are searching for the other entrance?” Sesshoumaru’s voice made her nearly fall forward onto her face.<br/>
“Y-yeah. I can’t find it.” She stammered.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He hummed and moved to the back of the shrine. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It was meant only to be seen by demonic eyes. You need both Demon and Priest to enter here. The first barrier, we will move you through.”<br/>
The first fat globule of rain smacked her forehead.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Quickly.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome hastened after the demon lord, whose youki had begun to swirl around both of them.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Stay beside me.” He commanded quietly. When they were encased in Sesshoumaru’s demonic energy, she began to see the rock waver and dissipate completely. He moved forward, and she mirrored him. The hidden entrance behind the rock led to a platform, then stairs that wound their way down into the spit of land. Sesshoumaru’s demonic power dissipated after they passed what Kagome assumed was a gate of some sort. Traversing down three sets of steep stairs in a cramped cavern, they came to a stop before another rock, which she assumed was another gate. Sesshoumaru looked down at her expectantly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh... Right. So.. How exactly do the doors work? Is it just energy, or do you need a barrier...?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru gave her a deadpan glance.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We walk through the gate under the protection of our individual energies. You will need to create a barrier that we may both pass under the secondary without interrupting its protective properties. One barrier will recognize the energy of the other, and react invitingly.” He explained flatly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She nodded. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So all I need to do is create a barrier over both of us.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Precisely. We must both be willing participants. Without you, we are unable to reach the Shrine. Without us, you may not pass the first barriers to the shrine.”<br/>
“Coexistence...” She said softly. She cleared her throat and willed her nerves down. While she’d been playing with her energy and guns, it had been a while since she utilized her powers in the old ways. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay. A’right Kagome. You got this.” She mumbled to herself, placing her hands on the rock to get a feel for the energy. “Right. Now.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome mentally slapped herself. She was stalling, mostly because it had been so long and she was worried she would accidentally purify Sesshoumaru, who hadn’t blinked since he first laid his gaze on her. His unmoving nature made her incredibly nervous. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay, can you maybe not stare at me?” She asked, irritation lacing her tone. He smirked but looked at the walls of the cramped cave. Somehow, his compliance didn’t make her feel any better. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the last time she’d done it, now over ten years ago. Once she was in the rhythm, she began the barrier process. Unlike other holy women, Kagome tended to talk and work with her hands. She let them drift, imagining a circular motion so she could properly begin forming the barrier. The gentle caress of her power whispered around her and she opened her eyes to find a perfect barrier. Internally, she was wiping the sweat off her brow. Externally, she gave Sesshoumaru a confident smile and they stepped forward as the barrier allowed them through. They descended another set of stairs and came around a corner with a new set of stairs that ascended upwards beyond their peripheral. Kagome dropped her barrier and swallowed. The darkness was being gently swayed by the light of the outside the farther up they went, and once they passed the main overhang, the stairs flared wide.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Beneath the ground she’d been sitting on, another underground shrine had been built and as they crested the stairs, the demonic aura surrounding the area suddenly made sense. Before her at the top step was a platform built large enough to accommodate the dragon skull resting on it. Water dripped from the ceiling and down the massive wooden beams supporting the weight of the cavern. It had been hollowed, long ago. The stalactites hanging from the ceiling indicated as such, as well as the stalagmites that had been forming on the platform. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome marveled. She could still see the red stain on the wood surrounding the dragon’s skull where it had been lovingly placed. Just as Sesshoumaru had said, two massive horns came out of the dragon’s skull and went through the ground immediately above it. The shrine had been built to sequester it below ground, that much had been clear. In all her fascination, she approached the skull, noticing that the entire body had been entombed as well. Massive claws, each finger about as long as she was tall surrounded the stairs in a grim reminder that the dragon had died here. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What happened to the dragon?” Kagome asked absently as she approached its mesmerizing energy. She hadn’t noticed the hypnotic trance it had taken on as she reached out to touch the side of its hollow nostril. Sesshoumaru snatched her hand away, pulling her farther back from the skull with a deep growl that echoed off the cave walls. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Keep your wits, Kagome. Do not fall prey to its call.” He warned. She frowned at him, then looked longingly towards the skull.<br/>
“The dragon challenged us long ago when we came to this island with the intention to build. We won.” He said softly, eyes narrowed at the dragon. “Out of respect for a formidable foe, we buried the creature here, unaware that the dragon’s body still possessed a deeply enchanting aura that regulates the seas and calls the weather to do its bidding. When a visiting priest stumbled across it, he explained that we had not properly honored the being, and requested permissions to soothe the dragon’s soul properly. We granted this permission, and the problems caused by the growing aura were solved with the blessings of this underground shrine.”<br/>
He paused, tilting her head as though he were ensuring she was unmarked and unharmed before dropping his hand continuing.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The priest died with only one other successor. Their blessings kept the energy in check and satisfied for much longer than we anticipated. Now those blessings are threadbare, and the shrine requires a new blessing.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome blinked, and looked up at him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do you know what the blessing is? It sounds like there is a ritual that needs to be performed, and not just some random kagura dance to clear the air.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He nodded. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We do. It will be seen to you review the scrolls that were passed down to us. Unfortunately, they cannot be permitted to leave the ancestral home so they may be maintained for future generations. Reproductions have proven less reliable than the original.”<br/>
“Does this mean we also need to maintain the integrity of the underground shrine? I mean..” She trailed off momentarily. “I can’t imagine a working crew coming down here without a multitude of problems.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru gave a shrug.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“They would be unable to. The only ones permitted to enter the shrine are we two. Or at least a human with holy powers and a daiyoukai, a demon powerful enough to work their youki as we do. Any physical work done to the shrine will be done by us.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome licked her lips, looking around. The sea water had frayed the wood, and some of the stairs looked like they needed to be replaced. The Shrine itself was made with enormous timbers that looked like they would stand the test of time for easily another five hundred years if they were cared for, and from what she had read it wasn’t hard to treat the wood naturally for pests and guard it against the water. She did want to repaint where it was appropriate, but one thing at a time. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So when are you gonna show me the scrolls?” She inquired, still staring where the dragon’s massive eyes would have been. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Perhaps when we journey into the larger towns for you to replace your things, we will escort you to the mountain property they are housed. We should take our leave before the storm above us worsens.” He observed the ceiling, and the droplets were turning into streams of water. Kagome hummed in agreement and let Sesshoumaru lead her out the way they had come. As soon as they were outside, the rain pummeled both of them..</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Shit. Well... Would you like to stay at my place and dry off once we get there?” Kagome asked, shielding her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“At your leisure.” He answered, doing the same as they walked along the mucky road back to her cabin.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Upon arrival Kagome realized her skin was no longer numb with the power that had been washing over her. She hadn’t noticed how powerful it was at first, and it was only Sesshoumaru’s grip that stopped her from touching the mass of bones and brought her back from the weird urge to do so. She put on a kettle of water for tea, and pointed towards the bathroom.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I actually grabbed some men’s clothing I think will fit. I had a feeling we’d have this problem more often while we work on the shrine, and thought it’d be for the best in case you, Aidan or Ryu needed to change out of something. Its just a couple tee shirts and cheap sweat pants but anything is better than wet silk.” She chuckled at him. Sesshoumaru did as he was bid, pulling the clothing from the counter top where she had placed it and barely moving behind the curtain to change. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“May we borrow your towel?” He asked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sure thing.” Kagome answered, beginning to pour herself some tea and sneaking a peek at the daiyoukai while the tea bag steeped. Her breath caught. If she was seeing what he’d seen the first time she changed behind that curtain, he hadn’t missed much. It wasn’t her intention to be a cock-tease, but currently, she could absolutely blame Sesshoumaru for sexually taunting her. He was peeling slowly out of the dark blue silk haori he’d chosen to wear and his hands were fussing with the knot at his waist. There was a gauzy outline of him, and she could imagine every smoothe cut of muscle on his lower abdomen, how they blended up beautifully with the rest of him. She blushed and looked away when the hakama began to fall away in a wet heap, taking a sip and swearing when she burnt her tongue on the tea that was a touch too hot. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shut her eyes with the hope that she could will away what his body looked like. It didn’t help. Instead, she could see him in her mind’s eye drying himself before pulling the oversized sweatpants over his solid hips, tucking his intimates away as he tightened the drawstring and then slowly donned the shirt, torturously languid as he stared at her with those soul-piercing golden orbs. Kagome was trying not to spontaneously combust and willed herself to chill out before he noticed... If he hadn’t already, the nosy bastard.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">That alone helped pull her back from the lecher’s ledge she was jumping off and she took another careful sip of her tea. She’d have to reach out to Touga when she wasn’t worried about her phone’s battery and thank him for his consideration, sending all the things she used to settle her soul. Sesshoumaru came back from around the curtain dressed in the white tee and navy sweatpants that were indeed precariously hanging off of his fit frame. He was holding them up with one hand while he stretched his other out to hand her the towel, which she declined.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I actually grabbed an extra one. Keep that and dry your hair. I’ll start a fire when I’m changed.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">That actually brought her a bit of worry. She stood farther from the curtain on the other side of the tub so she could change and turned her back to the curtain, hoping perhaps that would keep at least a little of herself mysterious. Her pants fought with her and she nearly tripped trying to get the damn things off. Throwing her damp clothes in the tub to drip dry in there, she donned her own pair of thick sweats and tank top, wrapping her hair. Her head snapped around when she heard a crackling noise, then settled when she realized it was the fireplace. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He must have started one. Pulling the curtain back confirmed it, and she went back to the counter to collect her tea before sitting a few feet away from the daiyoukai. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I didn’t plan on guests - I was just going to make some pre-packaged miso for dinner. I can make you one too if you like.” She said, feeling sleepy at the lull of the crackling fire. Maybe the shrine had sapped more of her energy than she had realized. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Your considerations are appreciated but unnecessary. We will be leaving once the rain lightens for the mountains. Work is requesting our presence, and the sooner we return the better.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She hummed, nodding as the flames flickered.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Would you mind forwarding a note from me to Touga?” She asked softly.<br/>
“Hn.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She face puckered.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Soo... Yes?”<br/>
Sesshoumaru’s pause before he gave her a flat expression didn’t answer her question. She pouted. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are such a pain in the ass. That doesn’t tell me anything.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes. We will.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She smiled triumphantly, taking a celebratory sip of black tea. “See? Was that so hard.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hn.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She gave him another sour look. “Stubborn dog.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Says the obnoxious miko.” He countered as he dropped the towel in his lap, fingers brushing through the wet mass of his hair. She huffed and rose to get her brush. Like last time, she brushed through his hair with her own brush.<br/>
“May we leave the damp clothing here and recollect it at a later time?” He inquired. She poked her head around his shoulders where she was working with his hair.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hm.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He smirked. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Our thanks.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She blew a soft raspberry behind his back as she fiddled with his wet hair to put it up and away from the tee so it wouldn’t soak through. From there, she moved back to the counter and wrote Touga a note on a small pad she had grabbed for the front of her refrigerator, thanking him for the care package and letting him know how much she missed her Inu Papa. She folded it and put it in a plastic baggie, so it wouldn’t get ruined. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Here.” She handed him the note, which he pushed into the pocket of the sweatpants. “Sounds like the rain let up. I didn’t realize how much it would be raining here.” She sighed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Only during the shift between seasons. It calms in the winter and summer months.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru rose with enviable grace, and opened the door, checking the sky and finding it acceptable travel weather despite the misty sprinkles still coming down. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We take our leave. Be mindful of the shrine, it does tend to drain one after visiting.” Sesshoumaru warned before stepping out and shutting the door behind him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome yawned, the cozy flames tiring her further. Maybe she’d just skip dinner. Her lids heavy, she finished her tea and fell into the mass of blankets, curling into her pillow as she passed out.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are greatly appreciated, cristine44, and constructive criticism is always welcome as becoming a better writer is always the endgame.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Lucid Dreams</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome dreamed vividly that night, about heavy blue fire burning and caressing her like water. In her dream, she didn’t even mind the fact that she was walking naked amidst soft white sand, smothered in brilliant blue flame. She didn’t know where she was going, but her feet would show her the way. There was a confidence in the back of her empty mind with each step she took. She didn’t remember how long she’d been walking, but she saw the torii gate ahead, painted in deep royal blue and knew this was where she was being led. Passing beneath the gate blinded her for a moment, and she was in a simple white kimono that hung copiously off of her. Sitting before her was a man of magnanimous stature. His dark hair was in layers of spikes down the back of his head and pooled on the whiteness around him, sitting in a pair of brilliant blue harem pants and nothing else. He sat in a half moon on a large pillow, one leg lounging on the floor and his elbow balanced on his propped knee as he palmed a steaming cup he was sipping from.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Before him was her old coffee table, and a traditional tea set. She frowned at the coffee table.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m taking this back.” She said loudly, voice echoing in the vastness of the white space she’d walked barefoot into. The sand ground beneath her toes pleasantly, and she couldn’t help but wiggle them.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The man before her looked up to appraise her with deep coppery orange eyes that both startled and fascinated her.<br/>“It was gifted to the sea, and is now therefore mine.” His voice reminded her of the deep timbre of Ryusaki’s, but this man.. He was much larger in stature, hair far longer. His entire frame was heavy muscle, and his body bore scars of battle that should have killed him, and probably did.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Join us for tea, Priestess of the Shikon Jewel.” He motioned with his free hand, and a large pillow beside him materialized. She shuffled around the table and eyed him, wondering why she didn’t feel wary of him. In fact, Kagome didn’t feel a bit of circumspection towards him, and that alone should have caused alarm. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Who are you...?” She intoned softly as the tea poured itself into a cup and scraped towards her. She picked it up and took a sip. It was black tea mango, and she felt such a joy in the pit of her stomach she gave the cup a wide smile.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are the Ryuo Daimyojin - Him whose shrine you serve at that damn dog’s behest.” He said softly. “You are far too beautiful to be the poor soul attached to this shrine. Have you completed the ritual according to the scales?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome felt a bolt of confusion.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Scales? I don’t know what you’re talking about?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her body was weighted when he reached out, letting the pad of his index finger press into her clavicle. A brilliant light flashed in front of her and when it subsided, she could still feel the hard press of the man’s hand on her throat as it slowly made its way up, under her throat, up her chin and pressing now gently against her mouth. Pleasure suddenly pulsed through her and she gasped, slapping his hand away from her. The man’s face was expressionless, even as she glared.<br/>“You may wake up now. We will share tea again when the dog isn’t so insistent.” He drawled, finishing his tea. Everything went black.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru had arrived back home the day of the rain and set his phone on a conference call with the company to sort out business as well as ensure Abe was receiving the work orders Kagome had turned in for materials to begin repairs on the shrine. He held his father back and read the note Kagome had written back to him, not sparing details.<br/>“Sounds like she is ready for me to come visit again.” Touga commented offhandedly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How is Abe doing, working for you again?” Sesshoumaru inquired, not expecting an answer as he hung the phone back up and rubbed his temples at his work desk in the library. He was fully expecting the lech to go for Abe now that she was back at her post. Before Kagome’s appearance, Sesshoumaru was fairly certain by Abe’s grouchy mood Touga had been making passes that had been turned down flat. Abe was more interested in climbing the corporate ladder than on top of her bosses. She wasn’t one to turn down a good fuck, but she was also more interested in the business than she was in the sex.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He’d spent a few days wandering around his home’s vast basement, which housed about as many artifacts as the Higurashi’s Shrine. It had been built into the mountain, and the one or two priests that had been lucky enough to be invited in to care for those pieces that needed extra tender loving care had been simply overwhelmed at how deep it went. He was looking for the scroll of the ritual that needed to be done, so he could have it brought to the ground floor of his house.<br/>The Ryuo Daimyojin’s scroll of sealing had been written in the dragon’s blue blood on paper made of the dragon’s crushed scales. He hadn’t read it since it was first written by its original priest, and he was going to save it’s official debut for when Kagome was in his house. He had decided then would also be when he presented the Shikon No Tama back to it’s original protector. The demon lord eyed the scroll sitting in a closed box on his desk that was covered by a sutra. Even the scrolls themselves had an inkling of the dragon’s residual spiritual presence on it. Sesshoumaru barely remembered the battle; he recalled a dark period of history were things blurred together, one battle after another until he was so tired he left the continent to wander the vastness of the world. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryuo Daimyojin’s had been taken care of accordingly before he left his vassal in charge of the fortress, but Sesshoumaru had taken the opportunity afforded by being on one of the land’s outlying islands to make the trip over the sea to the main land and begin searching it for something, anything new. All he had come home with was a better understanding of the world and its repeated patterns of destruction, a continuous cycle of joyously leaping headfirst into the worst kinds of chaos and decimation.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Rising, he went to check his phone and found a message had been left by the young demon guarding the entrance to the shrine, and pressed play.<br/>“Lord Sesshoumaru, we need you to come down right away. Lady Kagome is in a state and we can’t get her out of it. Please, my lord, you must attend to the priestess!” Sesshoumaru was out the door and down the mountain in a flash of light. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He came upon the door and flung it aside, finding Ryusaki and Aidan kneeling beside Kagome’s bed. Her eyes were white, mouth open in a soundless scream and she was laid on her back, arms and legs splayed as were her fingers and toes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What is the meaning of this?” He demanded. “When did this begin?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan shook his head.<br/>“She didn’t show up yesterday for anything or check in, so we came to check on her this morning. I’m assuming she’s been like this since yesterday at least.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru stepped up beside her and realized she was wearing the same clothing she had been in before he left at least three days prior. The shirt was soaked with sweat, and her hair was matted around her face. Scenting her was nothing out of the ordinary and there didn’t seem to be any adverse spiritual energy around her. Sesshoumaru stepped over her and kneeled down, taking her face into his hands.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kagome wake up.” He commanded softly. There was no change in her countenance, instead she began to shake violently.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Turn her on her side, now.” He said, moving off of her. “We need you to wake up Kagome..” He insisted, letting his youki tendril over her like a familiar touch. Her reiki rose to meet the challenge and she jerked, gasping before she screamed and began to struggle beside him. Her eyes were wild and panicked as she took deep, shuddering breaths.<br/>“Where.. Am I?” She asked breathily, her face colored in confusion. She looked pale and drawn, almost the same as when he first saw her after her five hundred year absence. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are at the Ryuo Daimyojin Shrine, in your bed.” He answered slowly. “What happened after this Sesshoumaru left?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sat up slowly with his hand on her back and she grimaced.<br/>“God, I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck... What happened.. Um..” She looked around, her brows knitted together in confusion. “I... finished my tea after you left and...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She looked over at the fireplace, seeing the charcoal. “I got tired so I decided to go to bed right after.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her confused doe brown eyes blinked at him. “What’s wrong, Sesshoumaru?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He had no desire to cause her any panic, but withholding the truth would do no good either.<br/>“You’ve been in a comatose state in your cabin for three days. You were found by Aidan just now.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She blinked again, rubbing her eyes with tired hands. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“That's.. Not possible. There’s no way I was asleep for three days.” She insisted weakly. Then her stomach roiled and she grabbed at her stomach. “Fuck... What happened to me...?” Her voice held a tight string of panic as she felt her stomach, raising her shirt just enough to see her abdomen. Beneath her shirt, her stomach had wasted away and he could clearly see her bones. Upon inspection, her entire body was much more gaunt than he originally thought.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What the fuck happened to me?!” She came again, panic setting in as she tried to rise and failed. Her entire body rolled and she huffed in exhaustion even as he heard her heart race. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We do not know. But we are escorting you to the nearest hospital. Get the truck.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryusaki was on his feet and out the door. Within minutes they had her wrapped in a blanket and in the truck. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Their arrival at the small hospital had them admitting her for severe malnutrition. Bags had been hung with the necessary nutrients her body needed to begin the process of healing what appeared to be starvation. The doctor upon entry of the room they had placed her in asked a few questions and was deeply dissatisfied with the answers he was getting. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We’re going to draw some blood and do some basic blood panels to see if there is anything off, but I’ve never heard of anything like this.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I may not know what I weighed, but I promise you I wasn’t this light when I left Kyoto. I had gained at least fifteen pounds, at LEAST. ” Kagome insisted, voice wavering. The doctor nodded but said nothing else as he excused himself from the room. Sesshoumaru was sitting in the chair beside the bed, hands laced. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Is there anything else out of the ordinary here, Kagome?” He inquired softly. She seemed to search herself before answering.<br/>“Nothing was out of the ordinary. The only thing I remember was a dream, and its spotty at best. I had this weird dream where I was having tea at my old coffee table with the Ryuo Daimyojin, is what he called himself. The bastard took my coffee table...” She muttered under her breath. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The Ryuo Daimyojin visited your dreams..?” He asked, sounding skeptical. “What did he look like?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome described the man she had dreamed of, and Sesshoumaru’s face soured. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“That is indeed the Ryuo Diamyojin... Perhaps this has to do with your visit to the underground shrine.” He paused. “This does not explain why you are suddenly lighter and in need of hospital care.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru rose and he noticed the sharp sting of her fear.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are going to make a call. This is an unforeseen complication, and needs to be seen to.” Her fears were not abated and he sat down again beside the bed. “We are not leaving the hospital. We will be outside the door, and all it will take to summon is a call. Be at peace.” He said softly, brushing a few strands of her sweat soaked hair away from her temples. She blinked, but nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He moved from the room to call Touga.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sesshoumaru! It sounds like everything is going swimmingly!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hardly. Kagome has been hospitalized.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He could hear his sire release a vicious roar.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“WHAT?! What the fuck did you do to her, Sesshoumaru?!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Are you finished being foolish?” Sesshoumaru snarled “We do not know what happened. It has something to do with the shrine. Kagome said she had a dream about Ryuo Daimyojin, sharing tea with him. She described him. Kagome is not old enough to have met the Dragon Lord of Sado Island.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">There was silence on the line, only ragged breathing. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I swear to the gods, Sesshoumaru, if you are in any way responsible for this I will have your hide made into something with sequins and displayed for the world on a trash can.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru ignored his father’s tirade.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is suggested you come comfort her. She is...” Sesshoumaru hesitated. “She is frightened.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then un-frighten her you stupid cunt! Grow a pair and help her feel better. I will be on my way as soon as I am able to. You’ll see me tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The line clicked, signaling the end of the conversation. He sighed, running a frustrated set of claws through his hair. He hadn’t even addressed how this would affect the results of the the shrine keeping. It added danger that he wasn’t sure the other Lords were addressing, if his own attitude towards humans was any indication. Kagome being a special case made it so he was more cautious of her mental and physical aptitude. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn’t be as considerate of their comfort. He went back into the room and saw Kagome fighting sleep. She looked up and gave him a tight smile.<br/>“Can you help keep me awake? I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.” She pleaded.<br/>“What would you like us to do?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t know.. Maybe turn on the tv for me? Some noise would help.” He nodded and switched the box on, watching her worry her bottom lip between her teeth and her fingers tap on the bedsheets. It disturbed him to see her frail wrist hooked up with the IV drips they were giving her to compensate for her lack of nutrients. He moved the chair closer to the bed, facing the screen as he gently picked her hand up with his own, cradling it like a bird. He didn’t let himself move even as her head jolted at his sudden gentle touch to stare at him. After a moment, he felt her fingers tighten a fraction. Satisfied, he sat back and watched whatever mediocre program was on while she looked on with him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru sat with her for the rest of the day. Even as she slipped back into sleep, any time her body began to tremble and her scent changed, he would shush her and press a soft kiss into her temple. It seemed to be the only thing that quieted her soft upset. Shortly after she would start awake and push herself up in bed. The doctor had come back in with a confused look on his face, explaining that nothing was out of the ordinary except she seemed to have a serious case of malnutrition. Other than that, after they had given her one more banana bag of nutrients, she was free to leave on the condition she come back after a few days to take another series of blood tests to ensure everything was still normal, and to begin eating small meals every three hours during the day. He promised it would be done and sent Ryusaki for the truck when they began filling out the discharge papers. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sat in the front seat, having not uttered a word since being discharged. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“You will escort her to our estate in the mountains, past the power station. We will be waiting for you.”</span><br/>He scented Kagome’s apprehension and reached through the open window to cup her chin, coaxing her to look at him.<br/>“We are watching very carefully. You will be fine, Kagome.”</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He stroked her bangs back and released her, nodding to Ryusaki. The small pickup drove off. Sesshoumaru bolted after it, waiting at certain mile markers for the truck. Kagome seemed to find seeing him over and over humorous, as every time thereafter she began to make ridiculous faces until they made it to the front gates, where she was nearly howling with laughter despite her weakened state. Ryusaki held back his sniggers as he helped her out of the little truck and escorted her inside the gate. Kagome’s face went from mirthful to awe inspired. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You live here?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru didn’t answer, instead picking her small frame up and carrying her inside. He settled her in the front receiving room after dismissing Ryusaki and covered her legs with a blanket before going to the kitchen and beginning preparations for a protein based snack. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru placed the plate of pan fried chicken and cheese slices directly in her lap when it was finished. She picked a the food at first, but a stern look and she nibbled on the first pieces.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So I think once I’m done here, we should take a look at that scroll you were talking about. One of the things I remembered in my dream... He said something about completing a ritual. I’m pretty sure that’s what he was talking about.” Kagome said, slowly eating another piece of chicken. He nodded and headed for the study to collect the scroll he had collected from his archives and upon coming back, the plate of food was empty to his satisfaction.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He settled in beside her and opened the sealed box. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are deeply appreciated, cristine44, DaisyStPatience, milomai, and mim! Constructive criticism is welcome as the endgame is to become a better writer.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Dumb Ideas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome watched Sesshoumaru open the animal skin with the utmost care. The skin had an almost pearlescent sheen to it. Sesshoumaru appraised what it said and lowered it so she could read as well. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well fuck.” She sighed. “It looks like we already started the ritual by just going down into the shrine. And it requires a blood offering by the priest or priestess who will be the shrine keep, who will then forever be tethered to the shrine. If the ritual is only half complete, it gives the demon the leeway to take energy however he wishes until the sealing is completed with a purification ritual involving the sharing of blood to consecrate the Ryuo Daimyojin’s tomb.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He was reading ahead.<br/>
“It also seems that having demon blood for the shrine was a mere precaution on the original priest’s part. It does not give any indication we have a role in sealing it. The tether appears to be a permanent bond in service to the Ryuo Daimyojin. Walking your dreams is one of the ways he collects your life’s energy.”<br/>
This worried Kagome. The dream hadn’t lasted for very long. The only real time she hadn’t really accounted for was the walk through the sand and blue fire. And the fact that she had been pulled into a coma after just sharing tea with the Dragon Lord made her wonder what would happen if he kept her under longer. Perhaps... After she managed to regain her strength she’d be able to go in and ask. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I have a dumb idea.” She announced. She was met with Sesshoumaru’s deadpan gaze. “Okay, so hear me out. After reading the whole thing, it sounds like I can communicate with our tethered dragon lord in my dreams. Maybe I can ask about other ways to do the ritual, where it isn’t so permanent. Or at least ask about the boundaries the tether has. Either way, it sounds like the scroll is giving us the bare minimum and we need more answers, and the best way to do that is to ask the demon himself.”<br/>
Sesshoumaru looked displeased.<br/>
“Just because the demon has been pacified for hundreds of years does not mean he’ll be an idiot. What makes you consider he will willingly give up information that keeps him bound in his bones?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome steeled herself for his response.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I offer him energy.”</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The immediate no that resounded out of him echoed off the stone hallways.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It would be a detriment to your health and is unacceptable. It is not the contract you signed.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Alright, then what is your solution, oh wise and powerful demon lord?” She asked sarcastically. Sesshoumaru pushed off the couch and paced. Surely there was a solution here he wasn’t seeing. Perhaps...</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“A moment.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru bolted to the archives, snatching up his prize and was back in the receiving room with the bauble in hand. He stood before her and offered her the Shikon no Tama in his palm. Kagome’s face twisted with a myriad of emotions before her eyes landed on him with hurt confusion.<br/>
“</span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">You</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5"> had the Shikon? How did you even..” She trailed off, gently picking it out of his hand. Where it was a dull lavender before, the second it came into her palm it glowed brilliant, happy pink.<br/>
“We found it in a gutter somewhere in Tokyo while we were working on projects in the area. As we did not know you existed at the time, we kept it on our person until we were able to return home. Other priests did what they could, but it could not be completely purified without its master, so we sealed it here in our archives with the intention of finding a way to destroy it once an heir to your charge was found.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The priestess looked like she had been slapped across the face. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I.. Can’t believe I lost it for so long.” She bent her head and began to cry. It was not the reaction he was expecting; he would have preferred her anger with him for whatever reason she supplied, anything but her tears. He’d rarely seen her cry, as she had always been in a state of constant joy back then. Now, as she held the jewel close to her chest she wept as she clenched the jewel in her hand.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Gods, I’m such a failure as the Shikon priestess...” She cried, swiping at her tears angrily. “So bad at this a fucking demon had to do my job while I got my shit together.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome looked to him with reddened eyes and tears trickling down her cheeks. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Thank you, Sesshoumaru. For picking up where I failed.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He waited for her emotions to subside before he proceeded, still unsure how to deal with a crying miko.<br/>
“Perhaps with the jewel you can properly purify the Dragon Lord. It will be a shift in weather, and perhaps -”<br/>
“Or,” She interrupted, “It will be more temptation for him to feed me the wrong information.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome swiped at her cheeks and let loose a deep breath.<br/>
“I seriously don’t think adding the Shikon to this mix is going to help the state of things. We </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">need</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5"> information. And we can get it if we ask.” Her hand hesitated as she brought the jewel away from herself, and held it back out to him.<br/>
“Put this back where you’ve been keeping it. For now. I’ll ask for it back when I don’t feel like it could do more harm than good.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru pursed his lips. It sounded like she had made up her mind, and when the priestess made up her mind, there was no persuading her otherwise.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Very well. However, we insist that before your fact finding, you regain some weight. The shrine will wait, and there is no time limit on the ritual for its completion.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He plucked the jewel from her hand and noticed the glimmer faded a touch in his care. He was only gone for seconds, replacing the gem, and when he returned his front door was being bowled in by a his family, as well as hers. Sesshoumaru pulled the scroll from the side table and left as the noise grew around Kagome, opting to begin a meal plan for Kagome.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s hands were careful on her and the concern on his face pounded away at her nerves like a hammer.<br/>
“I’m fine, and not the four letter word fine.” She insisted. Mama was on one side, Souta was standing off in the corner and Inuyasha was attempting to keep the girls from jumping on her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Its just a problem with the shrine.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s face hardened.<br/>
“So Sesshoumaru had nothing to do with it...? No hand on you, nothing?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shook her head. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“No, no no. Sesshoumaru’s youki is what pulled me out. To be honest, Touga, I don’t really understand what happened. But once I’m a little healthier I’m going to see if I can figure out why.”<br/>
“Sesshoumaru said you saw the Ryuo Daimyojin, and spoke with him...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She nodded.<br/>
“I want to go back and ask him some questions, but...” She looked at her thin hands and arms. “I can’t exactly risk wasting away to nothing. I’m not sure Ryuo would know when to stop pulling energy from me, and I didn’t appear sickly in my dreams, so I wouldn’t know when to stop him either.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga nodded and his face lost some of its intensity and he pressed a kiss into her cheek. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m taking a couple days to make sure you’re okay.” Kagome opened her mouth to protested and his angry golden gaze silenced her. “No objections.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She gave him a tired smile.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“</span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">Fine</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5">.” She said softly, playing with a thick piece of his bangs.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">For the rest of evening, she was lucky enough to have two demon lords waiting on her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome couldn’t sleep that night, laying in bed until the middle of the morning before finally giving up and slipping out of the guest bedroom. Slipping into her gray dress, she wandered around the massive manor, still feeling a little weak but not completely useless. Sesshoumaru hadn’t insisted so much as force fed her hearty beef stew and her stomach had still not settled from the food. The manor was hard to get comfortable in. Kagome couldn’t explain it, even as her feet padded against cool stone floors. This place was filled with ghosts. Old emotions whispered along the hallways in old paintings and scrolls. While it was tastefully displayed, Kagome could see the vastness of the Taisho lives on the walls and in the bookshelves. Her fingers ran along the spines of worn books, and she couldn’t help but giggle at some of the newer, unexpected titles. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She wasn’t sure if all three Taishos lived here or if it was just Sesshoumaru, but the girls both had their own room, decorated clearly by them with their favorite posters and colors. They had insisted giving her a tour of the room before bed, and she had at least gotten to see it. She continued along, glancing in the occasional rooms that still had their doors open. Kagome wasn’t even sure where she was in the house anymore, and she could feel herself tiring when a thick, sweet smokey scent attracted her attention. Following the scent she found a yellowed light cast in a hallway around the corner. She sneaked up to the side of the door, hearing two deep voices exchanging words. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“She has insisted she’s going to revisit the Dragon Lord...? After what happened? Foolishness.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">That one was Touga.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We said as much. She is resolved.” Kagome identified the other voice as Sesshoumaru.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then change her mind.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The sound of a hefty exhale followed by smoke coming from the room signaled someone was smoking. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You do not truly understand the priestess yet, do you?” Sesshoumaru intoned. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’d like to think I know her pretty well, son.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">There was an exasperated huff.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then you do not. She is not as easily read as you take her to be.”<br/>
“I do not say she’s readable. She isn’t easy, none of those things. But its not hard to know what she wants. She’s terribly easy to talk to. It is not an unreasonable request to change her mind.”<br/>
“She knows some of what happens if we remove the dragon from the equation. She does not realize the dragon could take the island with him if he were completely removed. If we were to tell her as such, we promise that her reaction will be to finish the binding ritual and consecrate the temple in blood.”<br/>
“Nonsense. She’s passionate, not stupid.” Touga argued.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is the passion we worry over. It’s why we had no desire for her to take the role in the first place, but it was not something we could bring to the table at the time. Kagome has thrown herself into the most dangerous situations thoughtlessly time and again. We had the pleasure of being present for the first of her ridiculous plights.”<br/>
He growled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You were not there when Inuyasha cut our arm off - she stood between the idiot and ourselves and threatened us with the Tetsaiga.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Both men chuckled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“That does not change the fact that she will sacrifice her life for those of the island if it came down to her or it. We are attempting to find another way that does not lead to such an unpleasant conclusion.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome covered her mouth, trying to cover her inadvertent gasp. The entire island being consumed by the dragon meant thousands of lives lost, all to keep her from being blood bound to a shrine they didn’t have all the answers to. She could feel anger pump through her, tinged with a feeling of betrayal. Sesshoumaru was omitting details to spare her conscience. She turned and stomped the other direction, not caring to hide she’d been eavesdropping. Somewhere along the way she’d found a large bathroom with a tub. Trailing back that way she found it and closed the door quietly, locking the top lock and door handle.<br/>
She hoped maybe her silence had bought her some time, and that the Taisho men would leave her to herself if she locked the door. Looking around, she began flick the minimal lighting on and looked to the tub. It had a step up into a gentle slope of a matte black granite tub. Even being so irritated, she seriously considered running it so she could have some thinking time. Desire won out, and she began running the water, searching the large room for soaps or scents. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She didn’t find more than a rose scented epsom salt mixture that looked like it had been sitting under the sink for decades. She poured a hefty amount from the bag and replaced it before stepping in to check the water with her feet. Satisfied, she struggled with the dress and her tired arms for a moment, throwing it off to the corner. She found the nearest towel, and pulled it to the side of the tub, then stepped out of her underwear. Drawing her knees to her chest and laying her head atop them, she pursed her lips. The only solution was to try and find out more about the Dragon Lord himself. The warmth of the water soothed her irritation, and she let her mind play over the dream she’d had when she first met the Dragon Lord. She paused and shut the water off once it reached the right level and sat back, still thinking about the Ryuo Daimyojin.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome knew she had slipped into sleep when she felt sand between her toes. She fought the sleep and panic that was rising in her throat like bile.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You called us here. Regretful, little priestess?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s eyes flew open and she was sitting on her knees in the white room, her crappy coffee table before her. Ryuo was nowhere to be seen immediately, and she jumped when she felt two hands on her shoulders. She sighed, grateful she wasn’t naked and instead in a pristine white kimono.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I should let you know, our last visit almost killed me, Dragon Lord.” She said softly. His bristling black hair came into view as did his face. He was all beautiful angles, copper marking his eyelids and down his cheeks in a slice of brilliant orange. Ryuo Daimyojin smiled at her, and she felt the chill of a predatory flashing down her spine.<br/>
“Apologies. This place requires spiritual energy to form. Your first visit was our first in a long while, and thus took more energy to create; hopefully what has been drawn from your vast well of power will be enough to sustain for the next few visits.” He said quietly, now coming to sit beside her in his own starkly contrasting pair of hakama and haori. The details were beautiful and shimmering, almost changing before her eyes as he leaned comfortably beside her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are grateful for a priestess. Men tend to be so boring.” His hands came up and stroked a single black claw down her cheek. “You have come to ask questions; come for information.”<br/>
“I have.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Despite how pristine and white the room and clothing was, she could smell the scent of reptiles and fish. She wondered if it was coming from him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We may be inclined to answer if we find it so amusing.”<br/>
She turned her face now to look at him.<br/>
“First of all, why the hell do you have my coffee table?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The dragon tilted his head, befuddled by her crass language. “You are attached to this piece. It is a part of the ocean I once ruled, and therefore mine. It is the easiest way to communicate without killing you. Energy in you transfers to items. Upon entering the shrine, we felt the connection and use it to temper the transference of power.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She blinked. He was surprisingly straightforward with her. There was a piddling wish that the other men in her life were as forthcoming. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What happens if I die while I am in our dreams?” She asked. Ryuo waved his hand, conjuring the tea set that had been before them before. He poured a small serving for both of them, offering her cup with a gentle brush of hands. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You will not. You have already begun a ritual that benefits us. While it serves our purposes, we will make it a point to be more gentle with the sharing of energy.” He glanced up from his cup. “And it has been some time since we had a visitor. It is a refreshing change of pace.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What about the tether? I don’t understand it... What does it mean to be tethered to the shrine?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He paused before taking another sip, his eyes looking off in another direction.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Next time. The whelp is knocking at your door, and will be interrupting. Drink some fine sake, pour some at the shrine and let it run over the timbers below. It will help with your fatigue.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His hand reached for her eyes and grabbed her by the temples, violently shoving her away.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome gasped, bolting upright in the tub and clutching her chest. Again, she felt like she’d been run over by a garbage truck. Slowly her surroundings came back to her, the dim light of the bathroom. The smell of the rose in the water, and finally, the sound of someone banging on the door, calling her name. A crash made her start and shriek, grabbing the towel to cover herself. Touga and Sesshoumaru both came through the door. Touga palmed the back of her head with one large hand and searched her body with the other as Sesshoumaru knelt beside him, looking for anything amiss.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We’ve been calling you for five minutes. You’ve been in here for two hours!” Sesshoumaru growled. The cool water agreed with his statement, and she frowned.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I haven’t been gone that long..” she muttered softly to herself.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Gone where?” Touga asked, brows knitting in confusion before realization dawned. “You were sitting with the Dragon Lord again, weren’t you...?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome said nothing, barely meeting his gaze. Touga’s hand ran over his face in frustration. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Dammit, Kagome. You weren’t well enough to do something like that on your own in a locked room.”<br/>
Sesshoumaru stood to one side, eerily quiet. She could feel his </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">I-told-you-this-is-how-she-is</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5"> vibes as he glared at his father. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck fine, Kagome!” Touga growled in frustration. “Promise me, next time this happens you’ll be safer about it and at least tell Sesshoumaru or myself about it.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome lowered her gaze, trying not to feel like a chastened child and instead began to grow angry as she stood, trying to keep herself from shaking too hard and failing. It wasn’t hard to see where Touga was coming from, but it felt like he didn’t trust her with the charge she’d been granted with the second she signed that contract. She had her own reputation to live up to, and his coddling made her feel useless. Sesshoumaru had a towel ready for her, and she snatched it. He had to catch her as her knees began to give out with the fine tremor that had begun in her legs. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“Goddammit..” She mumbled. Sesshoumaru made no sound, only helped her get back to her feet and wrapped the towel around her, picking her up and ignoring her protest. Both men walked her back to her room. Touga had her dress and panties.</span><br/>
“Would you like my help?” Touga asked softly.<br/>
“No.” Kagome snapped. “Both of you can leave.”</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga frowned at her stubborn answer, but Sessoumaru ignored her request completely. He had managed to snatch another medium sized towel on their way out of the bathroom, and he tossed her protesting body on the bed before coming around the back side of her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You will find socks in the small bag on the dresser.” He motioned to Touga. Kagome began making more noises of dissent when a well placed glare from Sesshoumaru made her mouth snap shut, albeit doggedly. Sesshoumaru toweled her hair until it was as dry as it was going to get with a towel and he tossed the towel aside. He took the gray dress she was wearing and delicately began guiding one arm at a time through the armholes before adorning her chest with it, slowly pulling the towel away as the dress covered. She felt the gentle slide of his knuckles across the naked skin of her back, gooseflesh raising at the touch. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He noticed, and as he leaned to straighten and cover her lower body and thighs, his warm breath brushed over her neck. It had been a while since she’d had butterflies like the ones swarming around her. Touga’s fingers caressed her ankle and calf where he’d left the bite mark. She didn’t want to feel this sudden ache in her loins. She wanted to be mad at both of them for treating her like she was less than capable. But the small touches and warm eyes were beginning to take their toll.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“Why, little one, if I didn’t know any better, we’d say that you were aroused at being taken care of.” Touga rumbled. She swallowed, taking care not to move and to barely breath for fear of attracting the two predators before her to do anything rash.</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The scent unfurling around him was making his entire body tense. It wasn’t just hers after a tick - his sire had taken notice of her reactions as well and was eyeing the priestess hungrily, mirthfully teasing her about it. There was a spot of him that quarreled with his beast, reminding him that claims were no longer his to make... But the slightest hitch of her breath came when his knuckles touched her skin and the effect was hair-raising. Her heart had even begun pounding at the softest settling of his breath as he guided the dress back down over her thighs. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why, little one, if I didn’t know any better, we’d say that you were aroused at being taken care of.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome froze under him, he could feel the tension in her muscles; then the scent pounded through his senses and his mouth nearly fell open over her shoulder. Breathing through his nose and soaking in her scent, he felt his arm react on their own, surrounding Kagome and grasping the underside of her thigh, still bare. His sire kissed the top of one of her feet before sliding the sock the rest of the way up. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It would be best..” Sesshoumaru began, voice gravely with carefully restrained intent, “If you rested for now. We leave you to </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">sleep</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5">. Not to eavesdrop.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His mouth was beside her ear as he spoke, and she slowly turned her head to him, looking up at him through those damningly long lashes. He could see a spark of something he coveted, a desire he’d been missing since the first time they had coupled so many months ago. She didn’t want to stop, and her mouth opened to protest him again.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He gently cupped her chin and closed her mouth before sliding his hand down her throat, letting his claws tickle her skin. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Quit contending and do as we ask, headstrong little priestess. We promise, when you are well you will be taken the greatest care of. Until then, rest.” He whispered in her ear. He could see her throat work as she swallowed again, and nodded. The hand beneath her thigh slipped slowly out from under her as he pressed a long, burning kiss into the bare skin at the junction of her neck and shoulder. Sesshoumaru stood and without a sidelong glance, he left the room in a swift stride. The door closed behind him, and he could feel his sire at his back. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sesshoumaru!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Hackles raised, Sesshoumaru spun on his heel to face his father, claws poised. Touga was smirking at him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You were right. She’s a pain in the ass.” He acceded, passing him towards the study they had been in. “I need a drink. Care to join me?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru sighed. “Fine.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga grimaced. “I fucking hate that word.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are greatly appreciated, milomia, cristine44, and Estefania! Constructive criticism is always welcome, as becoming a better writer is the goal!<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Dandling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">In the days after Kagome’ s most recent descent into her dreams, both Touga and Sesshoumaru watched her carefully. They had also informed Inuyasha of the priestess bad behavior (according to them!), and he had taken it upon himself to scold her as well. Now, a week or so later, she was sitting surrounded by his two daughters watching Korean soaps and feeling a restlessness itch in her feet. The... Incident between Touga and Sesshoumaru hadn’t happened again since they had fished her out of the tub. Kagome sneaked a peak at the girls, who’d fallen asleep leaning against her like two little space heaters. She sighed - there was no way she’d be moving anywhere for at least a half an hour. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">This babying was driving her insane. Not only were her feet and fingers itching to go and do, her brain was running all kinds of questions to ask Ryuo the next time she was going to be able to sleep deep. Oddly enough, that was another part to her gilded cage - one of the dog demons were with her, sitting off in a corner or in the next room. After her bathroom session, they had decided, without her consensus, that it would be best to keep an eye on her. Sesshoumaru had made mention it was his youki that pulled her out of the deeper trance the last time, and so they had ensured at least one of them would be available if she went into another coma. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She had also been receiving a protein rich diet that Sesshoumaru had been watching her eat every bite of before removing her plate. At one point, she had set whatever it was aside and glared. Kagome was still tired, she could feel it deep in her bones, but she was also ready to get back to doing something that meant anything. Sitting her not trying to solve the problem that arose with the Dragon lord was bothering her. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha walked into the room and smiled softly at the view. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Save me!” She mouthed with a grin. Inuyasha shook his head, and made a frame with his fingers before moving to pick the younger up bridal style and walked quickly out with her. He was back for the other. By the time he was finished, she was stiffly beginning to rise. Inuyasha was back and helping her off the couch, much to her relief. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m not a child.” She insisted in exasperation. Inuyasha laughed.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You get yourself into trouble like one. C’mon, lets take a walk.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They slipped her shoes on and began to walk around the grounds when Kagome pulled towards the gate of the manor and slipped out, Inuyasha as her escort. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re looking way too thin again, Kagome. Dad told me it had more to do with the shrine work. Somethin’ goin’ on I should know more about?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome was puzzled at first. Why wouldn’t he know all the details about his own ancestral home?</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You should know. Its part of the Island’s heritage, that your family is now permanently part of?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha’s golden eyes were unchanging as he listened, surveying the land as he walked.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Some of the bigger shit that’s been goin’ on they have left me out of since the girls were born. They haven’t wanted to involve us in things that could have the potential to be life-threatening. It makes life super fuckin’ boring... But I love my girls. Its probably for the best they know Daddy Yasha, and not the Asshole Yasha.” He explained. They walked along in silence for a few more minutes before Inuyasha elbowed her gently. “So ya gonna tell me? Or do I have to beat it out of ya?” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome smiled, genuinely. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I like Daddy Yasha better than the Asshole, too.” Kagome giggled. She then proceeded to tell him bits and pieces, and his scathing look when she told him the reason for the sudden over-protective behavior of the other two Taishos. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“See? You get yourself in so much trouble on your own..” Inuyasha sighed, rubbing his face. “Gahd, Kagome. Why do you do this stupid shit to yourself? You’d think you’d have enough of it after the four years in the Feudal era..” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Nope!” She chirped bright and sarcastically, looping her arm through Inuyasha’s. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But in all seriousness, Inuyasha. The entire island is at stake here. The only thing to do is fact find right now. If I rush in and make dumb decisions, it could be a lot worse than me having spiritual energy sucked out of me.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It isn’t just spiritual energy Kagome. What if this Ryuo Daimyojin demon is sucking away your vitality to flesh himself out? We’ve seen it before. A lot of demons subsist best on human energy.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We won’t know until I start asking more.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Y’know, maybe Dad and Sessh are right. He could just be leading you on for his own purposes.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then he needs me alive to do what he’s going to do. And that means keeping me healthy.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha tugged on her dress and nodded his head back towards the manor. She huffed, but followed.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Inuyasha...” She started, hesitating. She didn’t want to make a request that would put him at odds with his family, but felt like maybe she’d have a chance asking him this favor.<br/>“Please. Can you please trust me to do my work? This demon knows how to go about breaking this and I just need to speak with him, ask him questions. The last time we spoke, he’d mentioned he hadn’t had company since the last priest that had consecrated the shrine. Honestly, that means those bones have been laying without a priest tending to the shrine for hundreds of years.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha’s face twisted as they approached the gate.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“That’s not fair, Kagome.” He said softly. Concern painted his features, and suddenly, she was worried. He looked even older as the stress of the years gone by colored him. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m the last person you should ask. Even in the boardroom, I can’t be unbiased towards you. It just isn’t possible. I was your champ tryin’ to keep your PA job with Pops. When they wouldn’t do that, I tried to press for money comparable to what you were bein’ paid. And when Sesshoumaru came to me, after fuckin’ hundreds of years askin’ if we were fuckin’...” Inuyasha turned his back, hand grasping his hip while the other scrubbed at his face. “I almost told him yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Tears smarted Kagome’s eyes.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“That wouldn’t have been the truth.” She said softly. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I know!” Inuyasha exclaimed in exasperation. “But it woulda stopped the bastard from comin’ for you. He woulda let it go. An’ maybe.. Maybe then I’d finally get a chance to try again.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome looked down at her clasped fingers, twiddling her thumbs at his admission. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The gravel shuffled as Inuyasha turned.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Quit lookin’ like I just kicked your puppy. I already decided you’re better Aunty material than girlfriend. It was a long annoying argument that good ass already fixed in favor of not dragging you into my sexual deviancy.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome felt the tension in her voice as she chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Right... I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but Touga and Sesshoumaru already keep me busy.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Wait...” Inuyasha peered at her. “Both of them now?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s mouth dropped open in a failed attempt to explain herself. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well no, but they are both just so -” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Inuyasha held his hand up to her as he pushed the gate in.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t wanna know, Kagome. What you, the bastard and the old man do is aaaalll on you.” He laughed. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But I’m not sleeping with them both!” Kagome sputtered more as he nudged her through the gate, and was silenced by the scene waiting for her. Touga stood on one side of the stone pathway leading up to the house, arms folded and face stern as Sesshoumaru stood opposite with his hands grasped behind his back. Both of them were wearing rumpled shirts that looked as though they’d been slept in, and while Touga had put his hair up into it’s long tail, it had been done hastily. Inuyasha walked past the two of them, who were focused on her instead of him, and as he walked for the front door he turned on one heel and mouthed ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">I don’t believe you!’ </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She glared at the half demon as she approached the two Taishos. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I can go for a walk. And I wasn’t even alone! So if even one of you thinks you can tell me what to do, I will personally purify, SPECIFICALLY, your testes, at an undisclosed time right off your body.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She let the power that was housed in her give a warning crackle. Neither of them seemed to pull back as she walked for the house, and both watched her leave.</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome managed to convince the gentlemen that were being helicopters to leave her the alone long enough to utilize that lovely tub again. She had every intention of warming the bath so she would be able to fall asleep and get the answer to the tether question when Sesshoumaru emerged from the hallway, shutting the door as his nieces ran wild behind him. He locked the door and she swallowed, sinking into the thick bubbles beginning to form. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This one is your chaperone for your bath.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome swore and got up, shutting the water off and covering herself with a fluffy black towel.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This is fucking ridiculous. I can’t do this like this. I’m done.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The weakness she’d been feeling dissipated with her anger. She flung the door open, smacking Sesshoumaru with it upon her exit as she stomped down the hallway for her room. She could barely contain the irritated snapping of her purifying powers. The girls came running and paused in their joyful sprint as Kagome’s dark aura drove them in the other direction. Pulling the door open to her room, she hastily pulled on panties beneath the towel, nearly tripping when her knee about gave out. She pulled on pants, a wrinkled tee and donned them hastily. Then she snatched her phone and called Ryusaki, asking him to pick her up. Sesshoumaru was in the door, leaning against the frame as he watched her collect her things.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I will </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">not</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5"> feel like some prisoner here. It’s one thing to care about me, its another to completely overdo it.” She had her bag on her shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are weak.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I know what I’m doing, Sesshoumaru. Get out of my way.” She growled. He didn’t budge.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Either you get out of my way, or I will move you.” Kagome warned. “I don’t need a gun to move you.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Reiki sparked along her fingertips like angry electricity. Sesshoumaru stood his full height now, and his entire demeanor reminded her of the old Sesshoumaru. The one that would absolutely not hesitate to melt her into a pile of goo. Then, he moved to one side.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He’s here to pick you up.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome blinked, the power subsiding. She watched him carefully as she moved past him and out the door. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She hopped into the truck and directed Ryusaki to drive her back to her cabin. Once she was in, she asked them to check on her in an hour, handing him a key. She began running hot water in the bath and dipped her toes before settling. She sighed deeply and relaxed into the warm water. It wasn’t long before she was walking along the sand, looking for her tea mate. Instead, he appeared beside her, as nude as she was. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why is it you materialize me at first without clothing?” She asked as they walked. Ryuo shrugged.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are far more comfortable this way.” His eyes glanced up, as though seeing something she wasn’t. “Your dog has come to a heel. He lets us know that where he has not called you back, he is here.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome frowned.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How -” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The beast is here. You cannot see him, as I am choosing not to materialize his youki.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hmmm... Also... I’m just gonna say this. If you want to talk with me more often, you’re gonna need to give me a fair portion of my energy back. I don’t know how all that works, but you are sucking me dry to the point I’m barely able to function in the real world.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryuo looked displeased, but he nodded.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Now. What about that tether?” She pressed. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The tether requires us to share this energy. The farther you are away, the stronger the effects of me not being at the shrine are on the island.” He explained with a flippant wave. “You may leave whenever you please. Just at the detriment of the Island. If my energy is not here, there is nothing to regulate the seasons without destroying the island.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She frowned. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay, so what if.. Do you have any descendants?” She asked. Ryuo Daimyojin gave her a coy smile. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“While it may be uncouth for the times, the preferences kept while alive were that of the male persuasion.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sighed.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So... You’re gay.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryuo thought for a moment, then nodded. “We believe the term you use is correct. Though we are disappointed at how crass the world has since become.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded with a grin. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t blame you for loving the old ways. I’ve been told not to trust you, on multiple occasions.” She commented offhandedly. He smoothly inserted himself in her path, letting her bump into his naked body. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And do you?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She tilted her head.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do I what?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not trust us.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why should I?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He gave her a throatier laugh, even as a slackened black and white kimono appeared over his body and hers. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are certainly not the proper little priestess we remember shrine maidens to be. Your memories suggest you’ve been sleeping with demons..” He placed a knuckle beneath her chin. “Do you find pleasure in demons, Lady Kagome?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She brushed his hand away.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“If I didn’t know any better, Dragon Lord, I’d say you’ve had experience in seducing women too.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not very well, it would appear.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome gave him a wide smile.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m perfectly content with those I’m with right now. So what if you </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">did</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5"> have an heir?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryuo sighed, and the white room materialized around, as did her coffee table. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What in the world do you see in this ugly piece? It is not well made, cheaply in fact. The wood is not good, the stains are low quality, none of it is natural...”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome looked over the table and smiled softly, like it spoke secrets to her in a language nobody knew. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We have some history, me and this table. I’ve woken up after my worst nights having fallen asleep on this table. Its seen every bottle I’ve ever gone through, its seen most of the tears I’ve cried. It was there with me through Ayumi’s therapy.” She pressed her cheek to the table, feeling the prick of tears as she closed her eyes. “Even when I didn’t want to say anything to anyone.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryuo was silent. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Because we share energy, we share everything. We see your memories, Kagome. You have done much. It seems you intend to leave this world risking life and limb for others.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So are you saying that I cold look through your memories if I wanted to?” She asked mischievously. Ryo frowned at her, but nodded. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Though it is not suggested in your current condition. Have you consecrated the shrine as we suggested?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome bolted up. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“No!” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryu nodded. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Go and do this thing. Wait for a week or so. Cleanse yourself, keep yourself apart from others. Your energy will return, even if it at the expense of strengthening the bond we now share. We can wait until then to search.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She studied the Dragon Lord.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re really not a bad guy, are you?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryuo glanced at her from beneath darkened eyes. “We are only as bad as we are made to be.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So you only said you preferred men. You didn’t say you never slept with a woman...”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He gave her a lady-killing smile.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Indeed. Go, priestess. Perhaps we can address the question of a possible heir later.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome felt like she was being yanked through a wall as she came back awake. The bath water was still warm, and Kagome smiled. The ability to get in and out of the other realm with Ryuo Daimyojin was getting quicker. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She dried and dressed, calling Aidan. “Soooo as far as cold blooded demons go, do you think maybe you could help me pick out a sake to consecrate our shrine?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are delightful, milomai, red_velvet_hearts4, DaisyStPatience, cristine44, and mim! As per usual, constructive criticism is welcome as becoming a better writer is the goal.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Sustention</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The displeasure on the priestess’ face when Sesshoumaru pulled up was palpable. Aidan had called and let him know the odd request. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Come. We know where to get the sake for consecration.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She stared at him for a long minute before cautiously getting into the two door grey sedan. She was quiet as the drove along to an old shop where Sake was made by traditional methods and requested their oldest and finest bottle. Once purchased, he handed the jug to Kagome and they were on their way back to the shrine. Kagome asked if he would excuse her and disappeared into her cabin for a half an hour. Upon coming back out, he noticed her damp hair had been pulled back and she donned a pair of pressed, clean shrine maiden’s clothes. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru saw her stumbled and moved to touch her and she flinched away.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Stop. Let me do..” She said with deep conviction, “My fucking job. Do not touch me right now.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru took a step back and watched her gather herself with a deep breath, closing her eyes and then opening them, stepping forward on to the dirt bath before her. He could see her mouth was moving, and feel the pure energy gathering around her like fireflies. Keeping a safe distance, he followed behind her and watched her wash her hands in the station, drying them with a towel that had been tucked into her hakama, and moving on with the brown jug. She stood before the shrine, and said a prayer before taking the sake and praying over it as well. Once she finished, she poured it sparingly over the shrine until it she was satisfied and half the jug was gone. One last time she prayed, and once she was done, she bowed her head and began the walk back to her cabin. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She arrived and spoke over her shoulder.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m to receive no visitors. Tell Touga to go home, and let me be for a week. I can take care of myself, and at some point, you two are going to have to let me work as I’ve been commissioned. Tell my mother not to worry, that I’ve been charged to do this. She’ll understand. Please make sure she makes it home safe.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">With that, she disappeared into the cabin and locked the door behind her. While she wasn’t the cheery chipper woman she usually was, Sesshoumaru was beginning to understand her frustrations a bit better. Ducking down to get into the car, he drove back home and began making preparations for the family to go back home. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga didn’t argue so much as lit another cigar and had a drink before he announced he was leaving.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Keep a sharp eye on her, Sesshoumaru. Let me know if I can help with anything.” He said, giving his son a firm pat on the shoulder before walking away. Once the rest of the arrangements had been made, Sesshoumaru strode down to the basement where he kept his relics and found the room where he kept the traditional silks, the box he was looking for. It was an old kimono with the honeycomb pattern he’d become accustomed to wearing in the feudal era, not quite the same as the battle armour. It was a more relaxed fit, not meant for anything other than casual wear around the manor. Donning the robes, he pulled his hair up and made his way back down the mountain.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">If she was going to truly dedicate herself to the rededication of the shrine, he would stand along side her, as he had back then going into battle. His arrival was met with no acknowledgment, and instead of waiting for an invitation, he simply sat with his back to the priestess’ door. There, he stayed and sat as a silent guardian. On the second day of her sequestering, Sesshoumaru had decided to release the most natural part of himself and shed his human skin in favor of the massive dog. He shook his coat out and circled briefly before settling in a comfortable ball. The third day, he ran off to collect food, returning when his belly was full and settled again for a nap as the rain began again. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">So it continued for the next ten days. When Kagome finally emerged from the cabin, she looked at peace and quietly acknowledged his massive form with a slow study of him. He lowered his body to the ground, letting her hands run through the short fur on his nose. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re actually pretty cute when you’re covered in hair.” She said softly. Sesshoumaru’s nose snuffed, appraising her scent. Kagome laughed softly, both hands now buried in the fur as she brushed her hands over the hair. “Now its time for me to go back and ask Ryuo more about his descendants... I have a hunch if I can find someone to transfer his power to, we’ll be able to keep the island safe from being consumed by the negative demonic energy. We just have to search Ryou’s memories for the possible consummation of an heir.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru loosed a rumbling growl, and huffed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t speak dog, so I’m going to just assume you’re on board with my execution.” She answered softly, kissing the bridge of his nose. “Now I think its time to go to bed.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru raised one furry brow at her suggestively. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not like that, you pervert. I’m charging you with keeping my body safe while I discuss this possibility with the Ryuo Daimyojin. If you would, before I do this, we need to start gathering stuff to prepare for winter. I almost forgot, and Ryusaki reminded me after I came out of meditation. I have a list of stuff we’ll need to gather.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru nodded, and returned to his human form. Kagome blinked at him, licking her lips as she flushed and looked away. He fought against the smirk at her odd bought of shyness, heading for the silks he’d left on the clothesline in the back. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We will gather the firewood necessary. Once that is done, we will head into town and help you stock.”</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru had opted to use his dog form to carry deadened trees down from the mountain. As he was busy, Kagome reflected on the week she’d spent alone. There really hadn’t been much to do but think on her current predicaments, and how to solve them. Occasionally she’d been interrupted by an overactive imagination or the concerns she had with her intimate life, but those had quickly been pushed aside when she reminded herself that there were lives and livelihoods at stake if she failed to find a solution... Or at least if she didn’t consecrate the shrine soon. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She had made a list of questions she wanted to ask, as well as memories she wanted to search once she was able to. Kagome had eyed the leftover sake from the cleansing the day after, and when she sensed Sesshoumaru’s arrival, she had paused before pouring herself a tin full. She had waited for him to knock, say something, enter without permission. A flare of his energy made her tense, but nothing came of it. After about an hour of staring at her door and receiving no interruption, she brought the sake to her lips and drank deep. The warmth of the liquid made her comfortable and tired. After she finished the cup she crawled into bed and slept dreamlessly. This became her habit for the following days. She’d spend time considering her questions for the Dragon Lord, and rechecking the memories she was looking for. When dusk came, she would pour another serving of the sake, drink, and go to bed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">By the end of the week, she was feeling more like herself than ever. Sesshoumaru’s presence had never abated; he spent the entire week outside the cabin, only leaving for a few hours before returning in his dog form and curling up to sleep just outside. There were a few nights when the rain had hit that she had been tempted to invite him inside, but she didn’t want to jeopardize the health that was beginning to flow back into her with following the Dragon Lord’s instruction. On the last day of her self-imposed quarantine, she had decided to delve into the two demon lords and what she had felt the day they had ambushed her in the tub. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">There was still an anxiety inducing amount of embarrassment at the realization she had almost let them do whatever they wanted. Being in Sesshoumaru’s arms again had felt so... Good. So right. And Touga’s mouth warm on the skin that he had marked made her entire body clench, her breathing ragged, and her eyes tear with need. Something told her Touga, while possessive, was willing to share in the moment if Sesshoumaru had pushed for something more. And Kagome was fighting with the shame inside of her at nearly letting them do it. Coming back to assess these feelings frustrated her to no end. Her only consolation was that even in Touga’s arms, she was able to barely touch the Shikon and purify it. Kagome had always considered her place in the world with the Jewel and how she affected it. Apparently, having relations with demons didn’t diminish her purity, which surprised her. Perhaps it was in intention that purity lay. As the final day came to a close, she poured the sake into her cup, and drank. A small amount still lay in the bottom of the jug and she saved it for another time. The warmth gathered in her belly, like always and this time she dreamed briefly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You appear to be in better spirits, and far better health. We see the sake cleansing has worked wonders.” Ryuo said softly in her ear behind her. She could feel clawed hands on the naked skin of her hips, the whisper of silk alongside her. A strand of her hair was looped in his large clawed hand.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m glad. Are you finally going to let me search your memories for the heir I think you have?” She asked. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not this night. This night we are merely ensuring you are healthy enough to do what you would like.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He inhaled long. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You smell like juniper. It is preferred.” He gave a loud and low rumble that shook the contents of the dream. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome turned, testing a new theory. She willed herself clothing of her time, her favorite gray dress and wool stockings. Ryou’s mouth twisted in a sharp toothed grin. <br/>“You are learning, clever little priestess.” He stroked his chin, eyes shining. “If we did not prefer the challenge of men, we would have considered you a formidable mate, just as the dog does.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s mouth opened to protest but she snapped it shut and exhaled harshly out of flared nostrils.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We’ll never be mated.” She finally said softly, a pinch of irritation to her voice. The large man raised a brow before he released the curl of her hair.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do not waste anymore strength on this foray into us. Prepare for the coming winter. They can be harsh and angry if you are unprepared. Go. Do this thing, and come back for the search.” He towered over her, cupping her cheek. “Perhaps we will find something in our memories with you as a guide. When you are prepared, it is suggested you prepare guardians for your body. Energy from both of us will flow through your body, and if there are still greedy, power hungry demons in this world, they may be attracted to you as you are digging around in our memories.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She nodded, closing her eyes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome woke with a start in the day time as sunlight streamed through the window. She had gone outside and spoken with Sesshoumaru and now, as they prepared as Ryou had suggested, Kagome picked up her phone and dialed Touga. It rang twice before he picked up.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“My darling, we only just left. Do not give us bad news. Tell us you are safe and well.” Touga’s warmth seeped through her like a comforting blanket.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m more the safe and well. The advice I was given was taken and the Dragon Lord healed me with some meditation time. He did mention something about what we were about to do, and suggested I have body guards. Something about power attracting power hungry demons, or whatnot.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga was quiet for a long moment.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I assume you wish for us to come and protect you while this happens? Is Sesshoumaru not enough on his own?” He inquired. Kagome shrugged, then felt stupid. It wasn’t like he could see her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I figure the more the merrier. Taking Ryou Daimyojin’s advice to rekindle my spiritual powers worked, and if he’s giving me a warning, I really think it should be heeded. Nobody is going to mess with me if I have two demon lords watching over my body while I sleep.” <br/>He chuckled, then sighed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“If you wish it. I will say, this shrine restoration has been costly for all of us.” Touga sighed. “We will be there in a day or so. There are matters to attend here before we arrive.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay, Inu Papa.” She answered quietly. There was a long pause that stretched between them like a dark alley neither of them wanted to venture into.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You feel like you still have business you want to attend..?” She could see his raised brow, urging her to continue. Kagome wanted to ask about that night. Badly. It itched like a healing scratch she was trying to ignore. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Nothing. Its nothing.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t believe you, little priestess. I suppose I’ll need to extract it from you using more personal methods.” He grumbled tellingly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She couldn’t hold back her smile.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hurry up. I’m eager to get started. The sooner I can do this, the better I’ll be able to make the final call with how we’ll have to deal with the shrine.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“At your beckon call, darling little priestess.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The line clicked and Kagome hung up the phone and stepped outside. There were a good six trees ready to be processed, and before she could head for Ryusaki and Aidan’s homes, they were there. Aidan had donned a pair of jeans, but it was highlighted by a gold chest plate and arm bands. His brilliant hair was a shuffled mess of pale spikes and the sword in his hand flashed white and gold in the little sunlight. He brought the sword down, making short work of the tree into fire wood. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Thank you, Aidan.” She called. The demon nodded and turned back towards Ryusaki, who’d been watching with barely veiled arousal. He’d taken Aidan’s chin and planted a sweet, small kiss as they walked back towards their cabin. Kagome chewed on her lip and had to wonder what it was like to have such unabashedly sweet and loving relationship without the problems negative emotions tended to complicate them with. Blinking away, she met Sesshoumaru’s gaze. He’d brought a pair of jeans and white shirt himself, donning them once he’d finished his work as a dog and tied his hair up out of his face. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her eyes on him seemed to inspire his motions, and he began piling the wood beside the cabin. Kagome swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched his body ripple beneath the shirt. There was still plenty of light in the day, and she was assuming he intended to take her into one of the larger towns to start buying some supplies for winter, including some better wares for the cabin itself. His car had been replaced by the little truck Ryu usually used to take her to and from the closest local friends. She shuffled over, hands behind her back.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Can I help?” Sesshoumaru looked up briefly, giving a noncommittal noise before continuing. They worked for around an hour, finishing the stacking with at least a few rows. Kagome retrieved an extra tarp to protect the wood unprotected by the cabin’s overhang, tucking the ends under heavier pieces of wood. <br/>“We’re going into town now right?” She asked. Sesshoumaru brushed the bark and splinters from his hands as he nodded. “Would you mind if I washed up a bit before we left?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He nodded once more, following her into the cabin and taking a seat on the tatami as he waited for her to finish. His silence never failed to unnerve her. She knew his eyes were watching. It was times like these she used to enjoy messing with the demon lord. Small things, like exposing skin, thinking naughty thoughts to change her scent, flashing him looks. It wasn’t the same, and she resisted the urge to do any of these things. The confusion between how she felt for the two Taisho men was still unsettled. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She ran her hands under the faucet, cleaning and splashing her face with the cool water before snatching a clean shirt from the bag in her makeshift bathroom. Tugging the dirty black shirt off, she tossed it to the corner and donned a new shirt, turning as she tugged it down over her belly. Sesshoumaru had risen and was right behind her, and before she knew it, his left hand was on the exposed portion of her stomach while the other cupped her cheek, drawing her into the gentlest kiss she’d ever received from the dog demon. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">So surprised was she that it was impossible to stifle the soft gasp of exhilaration. His fingers drew tormenting patterns along the skin of her stomach and she was suddenly out of control, her reactions being goaded by the tenderness in his caresses. Her heart was in her throat, beating thunderously as his hand on her cheek flared and tucked into her tresses, closing the spit of distance between them and pressing his warmth along her. His mouth drew away and he was panting against her mouth, but his fingers played on.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome wanted. She could feel the painful throbbing of her body as her mind tried to stop herself from doing something she would regret, and the war was a bloody one in her mind. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I -” Her voice was ragged as she tried to push her denial out and she didn’t get any farther when he kneeled in front of her and grabbed her thighs to move her down around him, pressing the heat of his groin to hers. She arched back with a soft cry, tears gathering in dismay and need as she crumbled. She’d held back, fought against it and as his fingers dug into her waist to hold her steady as his hips surged forward in that delicious roll she remembered from their hotel tryst, she felt the beginnings of her falling apart. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">For some reason, Touga’s feelings just didn’t matter to her in this moment. He’d been so flippant about her concerns, she couldn’t find it in her to care anymore every time Sesshoumaru moved against her clothed center. Kagome kissed Sesshoumaru this time, instigating his reactions as their mouths brushed in a wicked dance of caresses. His tongue swept over her lips, pressing into her mouth and tasting her. Drawing another low moan from him as she nipped at the tip of h is tongue, one particularly hard press against her had her crying out in agonized pleasure.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I need you..” She pleaded. “Please... Either stop... or give me what I need...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s motions paused and he pressed his forehead into her shoulder. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We desire... We want to... Its just..” His breath was hot against her clavicle. “What of -” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Stop then.” She panted, pulling away from his burning hands as her soul screamed against her. His fingers tightened, refusing to release her as she squirmed against him, but he didn’t move anymore either. She could feel the heat between them and instead of frustration, she cradled his face, pushing him to meet her gaze until his warm amber orbs were soaking her in, brows furrowed in confusion and frustration. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kiss me again.” She demanded softly. It wasn’t half a second and his mouth was working against her. He laid her out and over the mat, pressing his fingers down her sides and into her skin. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Just... Touch me...” she sighed against his zealous lips. He groaned again, his forehead pressing to her as he paused in his motions. At this point, her legs wrapped around his hips which drove her into the floor and his body was flush with hers. Both his forearms were on either side of her head, and his eyes were studying her with such intensity she was having trouble meeting them. He paused long enough that the inklings of shame began to pick at the corners of her mind. What must he be thinking at this moment?</span>
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are always greatly appreciated, BlackLacedCherry, Milomai19, and cristine44! Constructive criticism is always welcome, as the end goal is to become a better writer!<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Bad? Choices</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His thoughts were along the same lines as hers. There was a part of him that wanted to care about the old dog’s claim, even if Sesshoumaru’s intentions were to steal Kagome out from under him. She was hardly putting up a fight, and the feeling of her pressing to him, the flare in her scent and the heady sound of her desire for him made it hard to think about anything but driving into her with wild abandon. What stopped him was how she’d feel about it afterwards. <br/>All he’d done was pause, and her scent fluctuated between desire and shame. This was not how he wanted to take her from Touga. If he was going to snatch her from the old dog, he was going to do so where there was no room for shame or upset. It would be a definitive moment where she agreed without a moment of hesitation that she was his. He devoured her flushed face, her glittering chocolate gaze and the feel of her legs refusing to let him go, savoring this one small victory as he pulled himself back together. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We - we must not.” His forehead hit the tatami mat with a hard thud as he lifted his body from hers. She made a small noise of disappointment. “We cannot when you are conflicted. It is not that we do not want you... You are deeply desired. But not when you are undecided will we force your to make the decisions...”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Damn you...” She whispered. He scented salt and looked over to see tears rolling from her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He pressed a kissed to her forehead and didn’t need to voice his agreement. They took long moments to gather themselves, pulling apart from one another before they headed for the truck parked outside. Kagome sat in the passenger’s seat with her body angled away from him as he drove to the larger town located in Himezu. They arrived with just enough time to the stores before closing, and the money offered for what they were looking for kept the doors of the shops open. By the time they were finished, Kagome had quietly chosen a new tea set, table, a small ten cube organizer, and a few floating shelves to install in the cabin. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They’d also purchased plenty of dried goods to last through the first months of winter, and a large, new cabinet to store them in. Once all the items were packed appropriately, Sesshoumaru offered to take her clothes shopping for better, warmer clothes. She wasn’t about to disagree, as she had very few pieces that would keep her warm in the months coming. A small shop was still open late, and the styles enticed Kagome. He waited and watched patiently as she selected a few pieces, observed their price, and put them back. <br/>A small nod to the shop keep sent the older woman tapping towards him. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Can I help you, my Lord?” she inquired. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Keep a watchful eye. The things she puts back due to expense, set aside for us to purchase.” The woman nodded and back away as she then made her way to Kagome, becoming the friendly and lovable old woman as she encouraged Kagome to try on more and more. The clever old woman was laying things out, and as Kagome selected carefully what she would purchase, including a long coat lined with faux fur. She had a modest collection of pieces, all versatile as she picked up a package of underwear and thick, thigh length socks. Sesshoumaru tried to conceal a smirk. Even in the cold, the silly Priestess still preferred her shorter skirts and dresses. He’d noticed she taken to wearing those tight lycra yoga pants women had been wearing over pants and shorts. Regardless, her fashion sense drove him to distraction. She still didn’t hide anything with what she wore. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Technically, what he was doing was not meant to be allowed by the parameters of the contract. Given she’d been spending her insurance payment for the items lost at sea on upgrades to the cabin, he felt this would be a minor exception. From what he’d been reporting to the company and at the government’s insistence, it wasn’t looking like it was something they were interested in spending the money on. Where Kagome was having problems on Sado, the others were not having the same issues. Only Sado Island was the one having such a strong threat to life that he was aware of. Then again, Sado also had a deeper history with its demons being out of sync than the others. With a grab of power that had thrown the natural balance out of sync, if the Island had been swallowed by the sea back then, the loss of life wouldn’t have been nearly as great. His bandage of the problem had merely made it worse with time, and now Kagome was paying for it with her life hanging in the balance. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I think that’s all I’m going to purchase.” Kagome insisted. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“My Lord, the Lady says she is finished.” The woman called. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Have you done as we asked?” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then have it bagged. Consider the rest paid for.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome blinked at him and didn’t even make a move to protest. She took the bags she was handed by the clerk and thanked her. Loading up in the truck, she continued to sit quietly as they began their trip back home. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Consider the additional clothing payback for the items lost.” Sesshoumaru rumbled. “What is your plan, Kagome?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She was still staring out the dirty window of the truck as they weaved back along the darkness of the coast.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Ryuo has given me permission to search his memories. I believe if we can find a descendant that can handle the natural power the Dragon Lord gives off, maybe we can transfer the power to the descendant. Though that is just one possibility with problems of its own. I’m hoping that will solve the actual problem. While I’m searching the memories, I’m also going to see about the priest that you first commissioned to the shrine. I have a weird feeling there was more to Ryou Daimyojin’s relationship with the priest than he’s letting on.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru grunted. He barely remembered the whole debacle, but the main reason he had no desire to look further into it was the strange attraction to the shrine the young man had. They’d only ventured in once, but it was enough for the priest to have an unusual attachment to the place. Before he’d returned to the main land, the priest had been visiting every day, blessing the shrine at least once to twice a day with prayers. At least, that was what Sesshoumaru remembered. He had to wonder if perhaps, based on what he knew now, the priest hadn’t been as intimate with the Ryou Daimyojin as Kagome was. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru nodded absently, deep in thought as he mulled over the possibilities. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He mentioned something about an aura of power coming over me. I called Toga to help keep me safe if anything or anyone should decide to try and kill me while I’m under. Even Ryuo sounds like he isn’t sure how long this will take. I...” She paused, shifting in her seat. “I had hoped both of you would be willing to keep an eye on me.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru glanced over at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“At your request it will be done.” he smirked. “Though it is unusual for you to now desire our help after the fit thrown when we attempted to do exactly this at the manor.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">At the corner of his eye he could see Kagome’s features twist with irritation in the glow of the radio. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You guys were being overprotective - ” She started. Sesshoumaru waved a hand at her and took the opportunity to squeeze her knee. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is a compliment to be trusted by you to keep you safe.” He interrupted with a barely concealed grin. Kagome’s head tilted and he considered her confusion. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t even know what or how to feel around you anymore.” She muttered. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh?” he engaged. She snorted in an unladylike fashion. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m still mad at you. Deep anger. Bitter anger. It builds up in the worst way.” She sighed. “Then we have these moments where I remember why I loved spending time around you... And then the raw intensity of... When we ...” She huffed, stopping as heat built in her cheeks. She was quiet for a long moment as they drove, pulling through the gates of the shrine’s park. Once they pulled in, Sesshoumaru helped her out of the car. He could sense her apprehension even touching him, and he could scent why. She struggled still with herself. Sesshoumaru felt his resolve harden, his nerves steel with her dubiousness. They slowly went about unpacking things, placing the bins and cabinets where she directed him. Once everything was settled, he pulled firewood from the stack and started a fire to ward off the chill settling into the cabin. She had fussed with the new tea pot, plugging it into the counter to boil the water as she pulled her tea from the new cabinet. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Once a small fire crackled, Sesshoumaru moved to excuse himself for the night, and was stopped by a small hand on his forearm. She wouldn’t look him in the eye for a few moments, and when he finally pushed her chin up to face him, he could still see the struggle in her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They glistened in the firelight, and his chest tightened with a foreign feeling. Damnit, he had been trying, trying to keep himself from making a human decision. The sweet scent of her need curled around him like a trapping tendril, snagging his senses and pulling his lips towards her’s once more. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck...” He groaned against her lips as he fell into her again. His hands wrapped around her hips as he spun them around slowly, falling in a graceful motion to sit on the edge of her futon and coaxing her knees over him where he sat. She wore another one of those silly short dresses in red, contrasting those deep gray wool stalkings she wore as the days got colder. While he wanted to feel more of that delicate pale skin under the pads of his fingers, there was something sexy about not being able to wait for her to undress as she hovered over his groin. Her mouth left his, fingers tapping at his stripes with unhurried strokes over his cheeks. Those brown pools... </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They left him unexpectedly breathless, hooded as they were. The feeling of being blissfully trapped washed over him, and the realization she could do whatever she wanted, if only she kept making him feel down to the depth of a soul he had once assured himself he didn’t have. He made a deep sound at the base of his throat as she ran those fingertips over his cheeks, down his neck and over his shoulders. They ran a path down to his claws, whispering with the softest touches guiding them over her hips as they rocked into his hands when they touched the cotton fabric. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She guided him, down, under, in unhurried light touches, occasionally pressing his claws with her own finger into the skin as she pushed the red cotton dress up her hips with his fingertips. He released a guttural growl when the dress had pulled up far enough he could see cream colored lace. Surely, one of her last fine pairs of panties. He could see the dark curl of crowning hair, carefully manicured and maintained in a small thatch above her womanhood through that thin fabric. The scent of her arousal was like a bursting peach over one’s tongue. Sesshoumaru’s mouth watered as his hands now moved outside of hers, slipping fingers under the band using care with his claws so he wouldn’t ruin the fabric. She clenched her thighs as much as she could to accommodate the slow slide of them down her legs, managing one leg out of them before his fingers began to play with the slickening flesh of her clitoris. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her sudden buck and cry with the lightest of touches made his throat tighten, his cock throb painfully in the jeans he was now regretting wearing. Of course, only regretting for the moment - Kagome had managed to lower herself enough to pop the button on those jeans, using force to unzip them with a gentle yank of the open button. He aided her with his free hand, pulling his uncovered length from the roughness of the denim. Kagome noticed his lack of undergarments and her hooded eyes sparkled with mischief and mirth. She gently mouthed his stripes as her palm caressed his length with one hand. Moving to one side and lowering her body over him, he hissed as the heat of her body coated him in slick juices. Her need was maddening, and her deliberate movements had him aching as he pushed down the urge to buck like a young pup. Her hips moved slowly, nether lips encasing him in pulsing heat. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru pushed the low collar of the dress down as far as it would stretch, her breasts popping over them enticingly before he gently scraped fangs over one puckered breast. She sighed and moaned, fingers fussing with his hair band. Once she had loosed his hair, her hips swishing over his cock as she ran that swollen pearl over his heated, arousal coated length, she buried those fingers into his hair and ran her nails over his scalp. They pressed his face into her breasts as she leaned into him, hips slowly writhing over his hardness that was now pressing insistently into his belly as it throbbed with the tell-tale begging of being buried in the priestess’ cunt. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">This slow burn was making Sesshoumaru see stars. The body heat between them alone had him sweating through the white shirt she was dragging up his chest if only so she could touch his skin there and tease his nipple with a blunted human nail. He sucked her small breast into his mouth, tongue twitching over the sensitive bud there. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s hands finally pushed his shirt up and he released her breast so he could assist in removing the shirt. He palmed the opposite breast when he was free of the white tee, and with a feral groan, he finally guided his cock to her opening, grunting as she slipped down over him with ease. Her body fluttered over him, the contracting muscles making him twitch inside of her. Her breath was measured, and she made no move to quicken her pace over him even as her brows furrowed and her nails dug into the skin of his shoulders. Sesshoumaru leaned back just enough to deepen his cock’s reach inside of her, and she gave him a gasp of pure wanton need as her hips shifted over him restlessly. One hand pushed her hip down over him as he fought to school his expressions. He never wanted to leave this roiling heat, the constant contractions of her pussy making it a delight just to be seated inside of her. Her hips grinding over him was enough to have him on the edge, but he was not about to cum before she. It was a matter of pride for him, and he wanted to revel in this. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They did, for an hour of mere touches and slow pumping and grinding away as the heat built between them until it was unbearable. She had cried out in orgasm twice, the vice grip of her cunt enough to bring him once, and harden him inside her all over again. Neither of them moved to take anything else off, the front of his jeans were soaked in her juices and her dress was beginning to dampen with sweat. She was shaking over him, thighs trembling with exhaustion and bliss as she keened over him, grinding with fervor. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">They didn’t speak. There wasn’t a single promise made between them, only the desperate reach for pleasure and the lazy build to it again, over and over until the deepest darkness of morning consumed even the light of the embers hissing in the fireplace. He had finally managed to pull her dress off, rolling her off of him and taking pleasure with long, languid strokes of his cock until she screamed, and they both had to stop before they were numb with pleasure. She had lain on her back on his chest, letting his fingers play with her again as they had before to prolong every moment of pleasure between them. She fell asleep even as his fingers brought her jolts of linger orgasmic bliss if only because she was exhausted. <br/>Sesshoumaru savored it. The slick, soft feeling of those lips under his fingers as he played with her button and core. The soft whimpers as she slept with her lace panties still hanging off of one stalking covered leg and wearing nothing else. That beauty she’d emitted when he last saw Toga bed her... It wasn’t the same, but it had been close enough that Sesshoumaru was pleased with every coo he could inspire from her now kiss pinkened lips. She slept with ease and depth on his chest, and he found himself falling into sleep as well, wrapped around her protectively.</span> </p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome yawned and stretched, finding comfort in the rumbling at her back. She’d had the most pleasant dream, the most sexually satisfying she’d had in a while. Another yawn and hard stretch had a clawed hand gripping her hips before she slid off the warmth under her and she frowned, sitting up and placing a hand on muscled hip. The hip had a pair of deep magenta stripes. Those where not Touga’s stripes. Her cheeks reddened. So it hadn’t been a dream. The long, slow simmering fuck had indeed been reality. Kagome sat up and found his cock was hard and tapping at her entrance again. She looked back and found him asleep in a shock of white hair. Having already done the worst, Kagome smirked mischievously, taking that length and slowly slipping down it. She sighed at the delicious fullness she felt when he was inside of her. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She moaned softly to herself and leaned forward on her hands and knees, moving her body over his as she twerked her bottom over him. It was moments before the sound her slickness slapped against his skin and she could feel that build of pleasure begin to thrum through her again.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Such a naughty little priestess..” <br/>Claws dug into her hips and she saw stars as she bounced on his cock, a loud moan erupted unbidden from her lips. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How unkind, to start without us.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His hips drove up into her at just the right moment when she was coming down, and his clawed hands began the rhythm, only harder and deeper than she had started. In a handful of strokes, she was already cumming over his cock, and by the feel of him, he was far from done.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">When they did finally step into her bath to wash, it was coming up on noon and Kagome, while she was still enjoying the afterglow, knew Touga would be questioning her change in scent. She was trying to push down her anxiety. Deep down, there was a fear that she would have to deal with Touga in the same manner as Sesshoumaru ten years ago. The only shield she might have had was Sesshoumaru, and she wasn’t completely confident that Sesshoumaru could take Touga in a fight. She’d seen Touga working out, and not all out fighting - even in his sparring, she was certain Touga was stronger than he seemed. Her teeth ground the more she considered things, and her stress began to mount. It took her a moment to pull herself out, and remind herself not to dwell on relationship matters. Touga had continuously told her not to worry; if anything, being dishonest with herself and him had been biggest source of contention in their relationship. It didn’t happen often in the short time they’d been together, but his frustration was always at its peak when she tried to hide things from him. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru stepped from the shower and donned a pair of the cheap sweatpants she had, toweling off his hair as she stepped from the shower. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We’ll wait for Touga to get here, and then I’ll go under.” Kagome put her focus back into work. She could deal with relationships later. For now, she wanted to do what she had come to the shrine to do - her job as a priestess. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are my delight, BlackLacedCherry, cristine44, and Milomai19! Constructive Criticism is always appreciated, so long as the end goal is to become a better writer.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Realm of Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome pulled a deep forest green long-sleeved dress that hit her knees over her body. She’d donned a pair of matching underwear and pulled thigh high dark gray wool socks over her legs. Pretending she couldn’t see Sesshoumaru’s hungry gaze watch her as she sat on the bed, pulling them up over her knee and snugging them on her thighs, she took her time with them and pulled the opposite one on just as slowly. When she was finished she met his gaze and gave him a wink. Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed and his lips thinned as he held back a smirk. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Can I get you anything to eat? Touga said he should be here either today or tomorrow.. I’m hoping sooner rather than later..” She said softly, noticing the teapot from last night had switched itself off. She turned it back on and pulled one of the new clay cups from the cupboard, putting a teabag in it. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We can call if you like?”<br/>She shook her head. “No, don’t bother him. The sooner he finishes with whatever he’s doing there the sooner he’ll be here.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru nodded and stayed seated before the dying fire of the night before.</span> </p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A knock at the door hours later had Kagome jumping up from the small table and answering the door. Touga’s handsome grin met her, and he leaned down and kissed her temple sweetly.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sweet priestess.” His smile faltered as his eyes appraised her, beginning to remove the dark gray suit jacket. She noticed the gentle flair of his nostrils, taking in her scent with a knowing look blossoming. Kagome flushed. Just as she suspected. There was nothing you could hide from these fucking dogs. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Perhaps... We can speak after this venture of yours about where we stand..?” Touga inquired, eyes darkening when they landed on his son. Her stomach dropped and she followed the gaze and found Sesshoumaru matching his father’s almost angry visage. Sesshoumaru was leaning against the tub, arms crossed in nothing but a pair of sweatpants even after she had asked him to put a shirt on. <br/>“Yeah. Sure.” She nodded, managing to keep herself from stammering, but failing to keep her voice from wavering. It brought Touga’s attention back to her. He smoothed her hair back from her face, cupping the back of her head and bringing her forehead closer so he could press another gentle kiss.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You need to be calm. There is nothing you could do that would make me angry with you other than being untruthful. This is not something I did not consider. We have spoken of this. You are still deeply desired, and adored, little miko.” Kagome’s stomach dropped again and she felt tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, hot little traitors. She could feel the press of guilt in her and his arms wrapping around her made it worse. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“NOW.” he said, tossing the jacket to a corner as he rolled his sleeves up. “Lets get a fire going. It’s damn cold out there, and I could use something hot to drink. I brought whiskey for English Toddies.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sniffed hard, swiping at her eyes and moving to pour more water into the electric kettle. She loved and hated Touga’s understanding nature. It definitely came from a long life of experiences that no longer inspired true emotion, and perhaps that was what Kagome struggled with. Sesshoumaru’s emotion still felt young, fresh, genuine. Touga was measured with truckloads of understanding. It didn’t make him perfect; to be honest, it made him a little boring, and there never seemed to be the thrill of risk when she was with him. Her hands came to rest stiffly on the counter as she blew her own mind. That was the problem with Touga. She had finally figured out what was bothering her so much.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Perhaps time had turned him into a tamer version of a psychopath. He was still charming when he wanted to be, but she still wasn’t sure. His emotional absence on demand was still a bit unnerving, but he’d never presented violent like all psychopaths tended to eventually. Just the way he’d reacted to what anyone else would interpret as cheating had proven to her that he had such a leash on his emotions, she’d never see it again in this lifetime. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The door clattered as he re-entered the cabin with an armful of wood, followed by Sesshoumaru with another armful of wood. Once tea had been served at the table, he had removed his shoes and was seated beside her. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So I have a bare understanding of what you are going to do. Is there anything we should be aware of? Like how does this work?” Touga inquired before sipping his cup. Kagome shrugged. <br/>“I can’t tell you what it’s going to be like. The only person with any kind of reference for what happens to me when I go wherever I go when I’m asleep is Sesshoumaru, Ryusaki, and Aidan. They were the ones to find me after the first time. The other times, I’ve been alone.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga turned his gold orbs to his son. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And what is your input? What happened?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru shifted, uncomfortable. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“When we found the priestess, she was convulsing and her eyes had rolled back. It seemed akin to a seizure. All of her extremities were stiff, she shook and was covered in sweat, wasting away before our eyes. Our impression of what happens was not a good one, and knowingly assisting her into such a state does not please us.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome noticed Touga’s face darken, his lip twitching in Sesshoumaru’s direction before he turned back to her.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are certain this is something you can do?” There was worry in his voice. Real worry. It was endearing. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You can look over me again yourself. My health has drastically improved the more I’ve dived down into whatever realm Ryou Daimyojin exists in, and following his spiritual advice in this has proven safe and necessary. I believe its going to look like I’m asleep. I should be fine.” She reassured him, putting a hand over his. “I can do this.” <br/>Touga studied her for a few quiet minutes, then his face tilted in Sesshoumaru’s direction. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Very well. When do we begin?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“As soon as you are ready, Touga...” She eyed Sesshoumaru. “Sesshoumaru?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Both gave her a small nod. Kagome steeled her nerves and nodded once to herself, taking a deep breath. Rising, she found a small bottle she had purchased during winter stocking. It was melatonin in small doses of 3 milligrams; what the body naturally produced to help sleep. She pulled two pills from the bottle and sat them on the table before the two inu-demons. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“These are melatonin pills. This should help me get to sleep.” Kagome swallowed, staring at them. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru came up behind her, both large hands on her shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Be not afraid. You are protected. You have our word, we will work to keep you alive and safe, no matter where you are.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Kagome nodded absently before grabbing the pills and taking a swig of lukewarm tea. Willing her nerves down, she sat at the table for another half an hour as both demons made the cabin home. Touga produced a laptop and Sesshoumaru fiddled on his phone. Kagome could feel herself mentally fighting sleep, and decided to crawl into bed and curled up on her side. Touga looked up from his computer and covered her feet. She gave him a small, tired smile before closing her eyes.</span> </p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga watched the priestess begin to fall into slumber, her breathing even and slowing with every passing minute. Sesshoumaru knew Touga was waiting for Kagome to fall asleep before addressing the stench of Sesshoumaru’s scent all over the cabin. No doubt, the look of pure disdain on Touga’s face signaled the long (or very short) conversation they were about to have. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Was it you, forcing her..?” The old man’s tapping had not ceased, and his eyes were still on his work on the computer. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Our intention was not to do anything until this farce was over. It was she approaching us. We have not left this cabin since she called you.” He answered evenly. Try as he might, Sesshoumaru was unable to completely banish the smugness he felt. Silence fell as Touga suddenly snapped the thin silver laptop shut. His sire gathered into himself, and Sesshoumaru knew the motion. It was unnerving how much larger the Daiyoukai seemed when he truly came into himself. Sesshoumaru knew his sire was not one to be meddled with, even if he had some confidence if it came to battle, Sesshoumaru could best him. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">But it was moments like this tiny slivers of doubt pricked at his confidence. Touga was not even standing and he still seemed to stare Sesshoumaru, who stood with his hip leaned against the tub as before, straight in the eye.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do not mistake what you think is a victory for the final outcome of her affection, silly boy.” Touga said darkly. “We will always be invested in her happiness. We will always be standing right behind you, waiting for your fuck up, pup.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s lip curled into a snarl and he caught himself, even as a feral rumble unfurled quietly from his throat. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We will see, old man.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s soft gasp turned both of their heads. She had rolled onto her back as she slept and as Sesshoumaru had described earlier, Kagome’s eyes were open and milky white. Touga rose and leaned towards her. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Her eyes are not rolled back. I can still see her pupils.... They are simply clouded over.” He noted. Her back suddenly arched with another soft exhale, and her entire body came off the futon’s mattress. Even her fingers and toes barely brushed the down comforter. There she hung, suspended just above her bedding. She didn’t shake like she had before, in fact, according to her scent, she was completely lax. Touching her skin showed she was still warm and lively, and squeezing her arm felt soft and pliant. She simply stayed in the air, dreaming, no foreign energy coming from her.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Has this happened before?” Touga asked, brow furrowed.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We do not know. We have never seen this before...” He answered, checking and confirming her pulse was the same as what he was hearing. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then we must trust Kagome with her work. If it changes, we will attempt to bring her out of the trance. What did you do last time?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Youki pulled her back. We pushed at her defenses and she responded with pure energy, then awoke.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga nodded, and seated himself at the end of her bed. Sesshoumaru took the opposite end, both men watching her body as it hung suspended with frowns.</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome dropped into blackness. She knew her body had to have had a hypnic jerk, because she felt the sensation in her lower abdomen as she fell, landing in what felt like water without the chill. She sat up slowly, willing her eyes to see into the darkness she had landed when the vibration of the Ryou Daimyojin’s deep baritone brushed over her. <br/>“Instead of wasting energy in useless comforts, we have decided to save it for your explorations. This comes with a condition.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The hair on her body raised, goose-flesh rising all over her body. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Name it.” She called into the darkness. His voice surrounded her like a discomforting sheer sheet, whispering all over her.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Our proposal is to inhabit your psyche so you may freely swim in our memories. This comes with a possible side effect - we can inhabit your body for a brief period. While we will do our best to curb our more.... baser instincts, we cannot promise there will not be some kind of residual pressures. Does this meet with your approval?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome felt her body react to the swell and ebb of the Dragon Lord’s voice. She took a shuddering breath and nodded. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes.” She whispered. Burning copper orbs materialized before her, huge eyes of a dragon staring her down in a brilliant appearance with its long body slithering en masse behind it. It suddenly compacted and the massive man she’d come to identify as Ryou Daoimyojin was before her, his brilliant black spikes of hair floating weightlessly around them as he grabbed her face roughly with those massive hands, black flashing claws making her start and cry out in surprise as he forcefully kissed her. White hot energy poured through her mouth, scalding her painfully. Her eyes squeezed shut and the sudden flood of color, smells, feelings overwhelmed her.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Focus, miko. Think of what you’re looking for, and the answer will come to you.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome trembled and refocused herself. She asked the question in the back of her mind, and the rush of memories came flooding like an index of screens. Scrunching her eyes, she opened them to a woman beneath her. Brilliant blonde hair haloed around her on a silken pillow, her face was a beautiful and delicate tan as she looked up at Kagome with her brows furrowed in the most desperate of need. Kagome could even feel everything the Dragon Lord was, the streak of white hot pleasure as he pounded into the woman beneath him. There was a gentle brush of fingertips as the woman clung to him, her, and Kagome pushed for the answer she was looking for. It was a struggle. The name wouldn’t come to the back of the Dragon Lord’s mind. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome pushed harder, and when she did, the reactions of the woman below them came to a screaming fever pitch; she almost missed it as he grunted her name over the woman’s screams. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Nori...ta... Norita..” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">‘My first female conquest... She was truly a delight.’ Ryou’s voice sighed. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Another woman appeared before Kagome, she was sitting at a low table with her legs parted before them and a devilish smile on her face. She leaned forward, her loosely tied kimono falling a bit as she brushed her hands through the demon’s hair. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Are you prepared for your punishment, Tsubame?” Came Ryou’s gruff rasp, black claws coming to rest on the woman’s pale thighs. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“As you will it, My Lord.” She breathed, voice deep for a woman. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">‘My second.’</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">‘Do any of these women have last names?’ Kagome groused.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">‘They do. But we did not have the mindfulness to inquire. No pregnant female ever came to us. It is untraditional for a female dragon to request help raising whelps, as dragons are independent by nature.’</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">‘How many more of your sexual conquests do I get to go through before we’re done here?’ </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome could practically feel the smirk. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">‘At least another twenty that have the potential for bearing whelps.’ </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome sighed and willed the knowledge into the real world, hoping perhaps she could utter the names.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">‘Allow us.’</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A long quiet hour had passed, and Kagome had merely breathed and occasionally trembled. Touga and Sesshoumaru had sat in the silence, passing the occasional glare to the other as the time passed slowly. It wasn’t until Kagome’s mouth flexed and dropped open, taking a shuddering, growling inhale before exhaling. A voice, definitively male, came from her mouth.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“She requests these names be remembered. Norita. Tsubame...”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The voice stopped and Sesshoumaru exchanged a surprised glance with his father as the voice paused, Kagome’s mouth open still as though she were pausing. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Tsuru...”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The voice paused again.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Chizue..”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga rose and pulled the pad off of the fridge as well as it’s pen and began to take the names down. They continued for another half an hour, waiting on names and it wasn’t until about fifteen more names were spouted, nineteen in total, that the nature changed. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Times.... years...”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The list began again until they had nineteen different years beneath the names. There was a rasping growl, and the male voice subsided, giving way to Kagome’s feminine voice. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">”...Sesshoumaru...” she sighed. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Touga gave him a raised, fairly irritated brow before setting the pen aside as Kagome settled in silence again.</span> </p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome watched the last woman fade from memory and made another inquiry into his memories. Instead of the familiar shift of colors and scents, she was met with angry resistance that threw her back to where she had originally fallen. The blackness was thick and watery until Ryou Daimyojin materialized before her and the water changed to white sand, familiar blue fire raging around them. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You have paraded around in our affairs plenty today. What is the meaning of this memory, other than to pry into something deeply personal?”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s mouth pursed, and she attempted to push again for the memory. There was a flare of angry youki that flashed against her, but not before a memory of something pulsed into her’s. She could see the young man standing before the shrine with Sesshoumaru. Tall, dark hair swept to one side in a braid, tanned by his travels. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome felt the hand fly at her face before it struck her. Crying out, she felt her body crash to the sand. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We said </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">no</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5">, little priestess. Do not test the boundaries of our patience, or suffer for it.” </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome came back to herself laying in the sand, hand rubbing her now sore cheek. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And we were getting along so well...” she mumbled, rising. “I need to know. I want to know how he kept the shrine pure for so long.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The snarling Dragon Lord came to a stop before her, his anger still flaring without the bite it had moments before. He extended his long black clawed hand to her, helping her rise before leading her through a torii gate to the white room she’d become accustomed to seeing him in. Her coffee table awaited with all kinds of tea and treats resting atop it. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then inquire. Do not force us.” his eyes flashed at her as he moved to sit. He was bare-chested again, in a pair of black silk harem pants. “We are feeling the limits you requested we watch for approaching. Your body will begin to diminish if we continue. We do not believe that was part of the deal. Though if you insist, we can accommodate, but we can not predict the outcome of pushing the search into our memories.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome took a sip of the tea before settling the cup before her and meeting the dragon’s gaze, holding its weight. </span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I need to know, Dragon Lord.”</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryuo Daimyojin’s expression flattened bitterly.</span>
</p>
<p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Very well.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are sweet candy to a content creator - Thank you BlackLacedCherry, cristine44 &amp; Milomai19~! Constructive criticism is always appreciated as the goal is to become a better writer.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. You, Me, Him and the Demon Makes Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Be warned - thar be treacherous lemons ahead.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome readied herself as the Dragon Lord leaned over the table, reaching for her temple and pressing his fingers to her temple. That familiar scald of power flooded through her and the memories came. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The man she had seen before, tall with long, dark, braided hair in traveling monks robes stood before the dragon’s skull. She recalled being entranced and saw the same of the monk, who was not halted by Sesshoumaru when he leaned forward and touched the dragon skull. A shocked look came over him and he backed away slowly, bowing. Time was of no consequence as the shifts happened. A small house where her cabin was built along the cliffs came about. Kagome shuddered as she entered the memories of the priest, who slept long and often. It had started as conversations between the Dragon Lord and the priest, whose name escaped her. Long after arriving, the priest and the dragon found humor and company. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The priest rarely left the dragon outside of sustenance, and they were a seemly couple. As the bond grew stronger, the priest had decided to consecrate the temple with his blood. Because of this, it bound his earthly life to the shrine in service, his life’s natural span was elongated and his time with the dragon made longer. Kagome watched, unbidden, as the two kissed in much more elegant rooms created between the two of them, finding solace in loneliness within a realm only the two of them knew. Years had passed, and even as the priest appeared young before the dragon in their dreams, he aged in the real world. As he aged, he found another to replace him that was a mere priest to care for the shrine; not the Dragon Lord’s lover. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It was then she realized the reason for the satisfaction of the Ryuo Daimyojin’s shrine. Every blessing had been spoken in love over the shrine. True, unadulterated love, that was bound by blood, consecrated in it. The priest had knowingly made a binding in purified blood to the shrine, offered his life as a sacrifice, and the entity of the shrine had taken the offering gladly. It was not out of anything but loneliness and frustration that the Dragon Lord’s energy began to seep back into the world, slowly and violently.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It was the love in the priest’s eyes as he gazed on her, now in the Dragon Lord’s body again, that told her. The gentle caress on their face, the harsh kiss shared. Kagome struggled back to the surface of the memories, erupted into the blackness of the water with a dragging breath. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryou’s voice came over her again like leathery strokes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is not possible for us... to ward this.. Cannot hold..” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His voice broke like bad reception on a phone and she was suddenly screaming.<br/>
“Share! Share it!” His voice boomed after her as it grew farther away. Kagome felt like she was being lifted out of the ocean and hefted heavily onto the shore. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Hands grabbed at her wrists and ankles and failed to contain her. She could see around her as she rose up on her feet and somehow she was taller than both Taisho men. She frowned as they appraised her with faces screwed up in concern. They reached for her with open hands, and she felt it; the sudden pour of scalding energy that made her shriek in agony. Ryou’s voice came to her again and she fought the searing feeling flooding out the tips of her fingers.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Share. He said... Share it.” she sobbed, reaching for them. They grabbed her hand and both demons fell to their knees, heads bowed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">‘We are here. The transference affected them, but not in a way we expected. Prepare yourself. We will make this painless if we can.’</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Outside, the house shook with the sudden shock of thunder and lightning, wind pounding at the glass of the windows. It was Ryuo’s energy, swirling in the weather outside. Calling a massive storm was not beyond him, and unguided demonic energy was prone to be wild and damaging. His demand for her to share it suddenly made sense, but he had not specified how. Kagome felt the energy materialize before her, a shadow of the Dragon Lord himself before her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We change the nature of the energy; it will be command able by yourself. For now, consider your body ours to do with as we please while we disperse what could not be stopped from building.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Those long, polished black claws drew a delicate pressure down her chin, over her neck, between her breasts and away before the shadow of the Dragon Lord plunged his hand into her chest and blackened mist absorbed into her skin, sinking in through his hand as he disappeared. A wicked grin spread over his face before he faded, and a snap of panic shot through her. She could not stop the heat that blossomed from the spot on her chest where Ryou had disappeared, outward. Everything tingled with electricity, and she could feel herself look around, bewildered at the sudden flood of brilliant color. A glance at the Taisho demons and that sparking along her skin told her they were both affected by her - she could smell it. Sesshoumaru and Touga both blinked at her wide eyes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I need.. Help.” She croaked. “The side effect..” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The Taisho demons exchanged look of confusion before escorting her down from where she stood. The moment their skin touched, the power snapped along her skin and drenched Sesshoumaru with a sense of euphoria that made his teeth click together. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Shit.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga inhaled sharply, nostrils flaring as his grip on her wrist tightening. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Woman.. What have you.. What have you agreed to?” Touga ground through his teeth, his face twisting with the transference of demonic energy suddenly flooding the room between the three of them. Those golden eyes flashed at her, brows furrowing as he drew her near and held her face between his palms, kissing her hard. Kagome responded in kind, letting her fingers knit into the whiteness of his bound hair. She felt a hand on her hip, claws pricking at her skin as the grip of Sesshoumaru’s hand tightened. His growl reverberated through her, and his lips on her shoulder made her gasp. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The price... What was the price...” Sesshoumaru growled against her skin. Not only was Ryou Daimyojin’s demonic energy whipping around the room, it was taunting the other demonic forces in the room. Touga’s own claws extended, and made short work of the green dress she had donned this morning, splitting it in half and exposing her breasts and underwear. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru nosed the delicate skin behind her ear, his breath hot and panting. She could practically hear his heart race, she cold smell both of their desire, and the realization dawned on her that Ryou’s demonic senses had also transferred to her. In one smooth motion, Sesshoumaru lifted her by the hips as Touga settled her thighs over his shoulders.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The price... My body is the price... while he sorts out the overflow...” She responded finally, gasping as a shock of pleasure bolted through her as the lightning flashed outside. Touga’s claws ripped through her panties, not waiting another moment to delve into her wetted folds. Kagome watched in horrified pleasure as the deep blue stripe on his cheek grew jagged. He rumbled against her clit, sucking it into his mouth and swirling his tongue around the sensitive pearl. When his tongue flicked her, she jolted into his mouth with a cry of pleasure bringing a look of approval into his reddened eyes. Her back was settled along Sesshoumaru’s chest, still bare and warm against her cool skin. She took one hand and reached back for Sesshoumaru and letting Touga’s hair go as his mouth worked against her sensitive clitoris. Her eyes passed over Sesshoumaru’s heated gaze as it settled on her and his finger pads traced her nipple, gently running circles around the aereola, inspiring her nipple to pucker and plead for attention. His mouth on hers made her moan, and the storm raged outside as the delectation grew between the three of them. Rain beat against the sides of the cabin and lightning flashed again, covering the sounds from the cabin.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His mind was blank in the wash of demonic energy and passion. She was leaned back against his chest, and they had managed to make it back to the bed as directed by him while his sire sucked greedily between the priestess’ legs, tongue lapping noisily. Sesshoumaru could see the elder demon’s beast surfacing in the redness of his eyes and jaggedness of his ancestral stripes. Whatever Kagome had agreed to with the Dragon Lord, it was bringing the most base of their nature forward, and she was going to be the outlet of it. He sensed the difference in energy - this was not the snapping of her pure power. It presented more like white hot flames, consuming their good natures and replacing it with need. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga rose, tearing the white business shirt away from his chest with a clatter of buttons, and made the same short work of the pleated business pants and boxer briefs. Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome up to her feet so he could help her out of the ruined dress, keeping her back to him as Touga stalked her with his eyes red and ears elongating as he snarled fiercely. He reached with sharpening claws and was able to curl those deadly things into his palm as he ostensibly pulled his senses into himself again, eyes flashing with the fight of his beast inside of him. Sesshoumaru could feel the same fight within himself. It was why he was presenting Kagome to Touga - he hoped that of the two of them, Touga would have the wherewithal to keep from accidentally killing the human between them if she was clearly presented.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He could scent Kagome’s fear, and it was like drinking the sweetest juice, making his mouth water. Clearly, Touga had the same line of thinking as he approached. The demon’s body was tight with tension, the jagged blue lines of stripes on his hips, ankles, wrists showing the barest of control. Touga’s eyes flashed at him, and beyond the beast he could sense his father’s unvoiced concern. Sesshoumaru spun Kagome away from Touga suddenly, knowing he hadn’t lost the same control the elder demon had. He nipped and licked at her chin, insisting she look him in the eyes as the elder Taisho gripped her hips from behind. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do you trust us?” He rumbled, his beast giving her a gentle growl. The beast in him knew her as intimately as he did, and they were no stranger to sharing the priestess. It reveled in her fear, but recognized their conquest was going to be consumed regardless, and allowed Sesshoumaru to stay as he was, in complete control. Her eyes searched frantically before nodding at him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Say it. Tell us you trust us...” He said softly, licking at her lower lip. It drew a small whimper from her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I trust you.” She whispered. He pressed his lips to hers with hunger, and hoisted Kagome up, encouraging her legs to wrap around his hips. Using a free hand, he pushed the sweats low over his hips, freeing his hardened cock from its confines and lowering her body onto him. The sweet, slick heat encircled his member, and a chorus of snarls between Sesshoumaru and Touga filled the room. She looked back, caressing Touga’s cheek to placate him and he pulled her backwards into his chest. Sesshoumaru’s teeth gritted as her body tightened around him, and his beast rumbled as Touga balanced her head on his shoulder, kissing her tenderly. Her sweetness was tempering his beast, and the angry stripe began to calm as their mouths moved. Sesshoumaru’s hips pumped forward, causing her to gasp into Touga’s mouth and plead for more. Touga’s hand came around her ribs, cupping her breasts and drawing patterns on her chest with his claws.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“More...” she hissed against Touga’s mouth. “I need more...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru grunted as his grip tightened on her hips so he could thrust harder, jarring her against his sire. Touga gave him a fanged smirk before turning his attention back to Kagome. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Remove yourself for a moment.” he rumbled softly against Kagome’s lips, directing the comment at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru paused in his motions, extracting himself with a hissing grunt, and when Touga’s hand began to pump into Kagome’s cunt he realized what the old demon was doing. Once his hand was thoroughly coated with her juices, Touga pumped his cock over her slit until it was soaked, and he offered the dripping priestess back to him. Sesshoumaru plunged back into Kagome, drawing a cry from her before Touga’s cock behind her made her stiffen. Sesshoumaru grabbed her chin before she could look back and kissed her passionately, if only to ease the sting he knew was coming.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her entire body was on fire. Sesshoumaru’s thickness enveloped inside of her was driving her insane, and the sight of Touga stroking his cock below them made her simper. It wasn’t until after his cock tapped her backside she realized what he meant to do with his arousal coated length. She turned to protest, and Sesshoumaru stopped her with a deep kiss, eyes blazing. She couldn’t decide if his participation in this was the sexiest thing she’d ever witnessed, or if she should hit him; but the slide of Touga’s length into her ass took away any coherent thought as she stretched in an unfamiliar and painful way. Even so, her head dropped back with a guttural moan as Touga worked his way inside of her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru showered her exposed neck with nips and kisses as Touga did on the opposite side of her shoulder. He was fully seated inside of her and they were both still as she gasped between them, unsure of the way it felt at first. If not for the hypnotizing wash of energy, Kagome may not have enjoyed it as much as she did. The two Taisho demons exchanged a heated look before Sesshoumaru’s hips surged forward. Upon his pull back, Touga’s hips thrust forward behind her, impaling deeper and Kagome couldn’t hold back the moan.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Both demons swore as she rippled around them, and she was lost. She could barely make a coherent noise as they found their rhythm. One would slide out and she was not left wanting, only to be filled in a different and fascinating way that made her cry out. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes...” She gasped, fingers of one hand brushing Sesshoumaru’s face as he thrust forward, and the other hand clenching Touga’s hair as Sesshoumaru’s hips pulled away and Touga’s cock filled her. “Yes! Please... Don’t stop!” She practically sobbed between them. Her body was hot, needy, over-sensitized by their motions and Ryou’s flow of demonic energy over her. It was fluid, balanced, and frenzied. Sesshoumaru’s head was thrown back as he panted, Touga’s face buried in her shoulder and their hips were working in beautiful synchronism as they pulled her to higher plains of bliss than she’d ever been. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Never stop...” She whispered, pleasure singing through her in such a way she could no longer tell if she was just in rapture, or floating over them. Time lost its meaning as they drove into her body, and the storm outside seemed like nothing to the tempest of euphoria in the cabin. Pleasure burst over her, down her spine and she wasn’t even aware she was screaming until the raking pain of her shrills on her vocal chords kept her voice from her. Neither Taisho was done, even as their movements quickened and the slap of skin and grunts slammed her back into her body as they built her up all over again. There was blood under her nails as she scratched down Touga’s neck viciously at an attempt to bring them closer to her. In a moment, both demons had her pressed between them tightly as they fucked her relentlessly. Kagome’s body felt limp with ecstasy, and there was no longer tension in her body to keep her balanced. She was theirs to command as they willed between them. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">It felt like an eternity of their movements before Sesshoumaru bellowed, Touga roaring alongside of him, and she could feel the warmth of their seed soaking her. They had both sheathed themselves as far as they were able to, using her as a buffer between them. Once they both had their bearings, she felt Sesshoumaru pull from her first, followed closely by Touga. They steadied her, and Sesshoumaru tucked her backside against him while Touga poured hot water into the bath.<br/>
The spiking energy around her had ebbed, and finally, the extrasensory smells and sight was beginning to drain from her. She swallowed hard, still shaking from the overstimulation of Ryou’s energy slipping away. Kagome could barely feel her lower half, still buzzing with the thrill of orgasmic bliss as Sesshoumaru reassured her with small licks and kisses on her shoulder. Touga appeared before her with a steaming towel.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You must be cleaned before you sleep, beloved.” His voice was raspy and deep. She nodded, and he lowered the damp towel to her private parts, taking care to clean accordingly. He dampened the towel a few more times as he ran the warmth over her shoulders, her legs. By the time he had finished wiping her body down, she felt the weight of sleep calling for her despite having slept for hours. She kissed Sesshoumaru’s palm and nestled between his naked thighs, sighing in content as she let sleep claim her.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga was wringing out the rag he’d cleaned Kagome with when he glanced at Sesshoumaru.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Honestly... Not what I was expecting, Sesshoumaru.” He sighed. “She really is as reckless as you say. I never imagined the day we would pay a price as this, with our body.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru stroked Kagome’s dark hair, still damp with cooling sweat. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is rarely boring with her.” His tone was clipped. “There are only so many warnings we can give you, old man.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga chuckled, having finished cleaning himself and now stood, naked, before the fire. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You did indeed. Its almost fun, being so thoroughly inconvenienced.” He admitted, searching for anything of his that had not been ruined. “Its been years since demonic energy called to the beast and I was nearly unable to stop him.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru huffed from where he was sitting on Kagome’s bed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We mastered our beast long ago between her thighs. It is no longer an issue for us.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga nodded, still searching the floor.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“She has an extra pair of sweats in the cubby in the bathroom for these occasions.” Sesshoumaru grumbled tiredly. Touga eyed his son before finding the cubby and pulling on a pair of sweats the appeared too small for him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I sensed Ryou’s presence for the first time in ages. You think she bartered her body for searching through his memories?” Touga asked. Sesshoumaru’s mouth pursed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We believe it was the case. Though, we do not believe she would intentionally sell us alongside herself - more like we were roped into it due to proximity.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga picked up the list of names that still lay on the table. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We will make a copy of these and begin researching the names. I believe the name corresponds with the dates. Though I can’t imagine with how vague these names and dates are we will find anything worthwhile.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hn.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His sire perused him and the sleeping priestess. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This was not the worst price we’ve had to pay for information. I don’t even regret having to share it.” Touga said quietly, sitting on the tatami. “We’ll wait to make sure she is still well and safe. Once her safety is assured, I’ll leave her to you again, until she needs me.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru eyed the daiyoukai sitting, watching the fire. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What of the conversation you said you wanted to have?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The Inu no Taisho didn’t move as he answered. “By sharing her, together, we have made our answer to what she views as infidelity, very clear. And I told you. The moment you fuck up, I will be here to revel in that delightful ass of hers.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru grunted before he laughed a full bellied sound. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Very well, old man.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s warning no longer felt like a threat. It was comforting to think that should something go awry in his life, Touga would be willing to step in and care for the priestess that, he was no longer as loathe to admit, had a deeper hold on him than any female before her. He kissed her temple and bedded down, pulling covers over him and her and tucking her into the warmth of his body before shutting his eyes and following her in sleep.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are delighted in, DaisyStPatience, BlackLacedCherry, cristine44, and Milomai19! Constructive criticism is encouraged, as becoming a better writer is the end goal.<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. The Catch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The daylight struck her like a slap as it rose, and while she was comfortable at first, when she realized two thick arms were wrapped around her torso but there was a head resting comfortably on her stomach, she couldn’t help the sudden twang of panic that followed. White hair flowed everywhere, pale skin surrounded her in a warm, breathing cage. Sesshoumaru grumbled behind her, shifting slightly and it was a chain reaction where Touga then growled against her belly, fingers tightening over the swell of her hip even as she fought down the anxiety that flooded through the pit of her stomach. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Little priestess, it is far too early for you to be making such a fuss. Do calm yourself.” Touga’s voice tickled her stomach with its vibration. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But last night - ” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Happened. Shut up.” This time it was Sesshoumaru’s purr that silenced her. The flip-flopping of her stomach seemed completely unnecessary now that they had both reaffirmed there was no need to get upset. Based on how most of the demons had been getting on around her lately, it followed that the two would not object to a puppy pile. Kagome snickered softly to herself at the image the phrase conjured. Settling at the behest of the two, she brushed her hands through Touga’s hair, scratching at his scalp with her nails. He nipped at her hip, licking the mark before sucking at it gently. She could see his eyes darken through his bangs and her body quickened at the memories of the night before. Fingers in her hair teasing her scalp made an involuntary moan erupt from her lips, and Sesshoumaru’s stomach bounced with restrained laughter. She twisted her torso and landed a fist on his chest with an indignant huff. <br/>Hands on ankles pulling her forward under Touga made her gasp and she was quickly silenced by his mouth, swallowing her surprised noises.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Remind me to purchase you a new set of garters and belts.. You look ravishing in nothing but socks.” Touga was teasing the wool stalkings that had begun to fall over her knees, pulling her wide so his hips could press into her unclothed center. She felt so oversexed and she swallowed the noises and tried to pull out from under Touga, pushing herself back and snatching at the comforter on the bed in a vain attempt at unnecessary modesty. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“If its all the same to you guys, I really should take a bath..” She managed not to stammer, but did not stifle the shriek that came out when Sesshoumaru hauled her back over his body, taking a deep inhale of her natural scent. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We need the same. Feel free to start without us. We,” Sesshoumaru nodded to his sire, “must have a chat.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome looked between the two of them but didn’t argue. If it meant the two of them would be out of her hair for a few minutes while she got to enjoy some alone time. They excused themselves and Kagome ran the bath, pulling the curtain. Pouring a few soaps and salts before she dipped a toe, she settled into the water before it got too high. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The entire nights debacle made her want to drown herself in the bath. Not that it hadn’t been the most mind boggling sex she’d ever had - no, that wasn’t where Kagome had a hangup. It was the father/son aspect of it that gave her pause. There was a minor realization that she shouldn’t have a care about it if they didn’t, and it was something she kept repeating to herself. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan’s carefree nature with his sexual preferences was inspirational. She wanted the same surety he had... Slipping her hand over her ankles and over her thighs, she realized there were bruises beginning to form around her hips where Sesshoumaru had been holding her the night before. She chewed her lip. Where it seemed like he wasn’t gentle because of the bruises, if it hadn’t been for his support she would have fallen. There were moments, even in her own haze that she wasn’t sure she would come out of the dangerous spike of power safely. Touga had looked close to losing himself, and if not for the careful direction Sesshoumaru had given, it could have ended far worse. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She grasped the loofa at the edge of the tub and scrubbed at herself, taking care to wash her intimates gently. The water hit her chest and she shut it off, sinking down until she was immersed to her shoulders, blowing bubbles from her nose. Her dive into Ryuo Daimyojin’s memories did not prove to be as fruitful as she had hoped. Somehow, with the little information she had gathered, she didn’t feel like finding an heir for the Dragon Lord’s power was within reach. She hadn’t even considered how the Dragon Lord himself would feel being banished from the Shrine itself as it’s entity. Surely he already knew, having searched her memories himself. Perhaps she should be more concerned with the fact the shrine’s entity seemed to have no concern this was her goal, even though she knew he could reach just as far into her memories as she his. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You should indeed, little priestess.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome started in the tub, looking up and seeing the Dragon Lord himself standing over her. Her heart was in her throat as the demon leaned over and took a wet tendril of her hair, rubbing it between his forefinger and thumb as she stared at him, trying to figure out if she was hallucinating</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We’ve known what you were doing from the start. Thankfully, you had two daiyoukai at your disposal, and retrieving that demonic energy was only a matter of getting the two of them in the room.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s eyes widened fearfully. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You...”<br/>“Are not really here, according to anyone else watching you talk to yourself, silly little girl. But we intend to have the two demons arguing outside use us until we </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">can</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5"> fully materialize on the human plain.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But -” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We can reach out..” He said softly, his claw extending slowly as he brought it to her cheek. One smoothe swipe and she flinched, a warm droplet of blood running over her skin. “And take what we want, sweet priestess. Only with you though. You share youki with us, share sustenance with us. Make us real.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His licked his thumb and swiped the blood away. Kagome’s eyes slid shut as she felt a spike of arousal course through unbidden, and uncontrollable. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We chose to withhold a small piece, if only to keep you at ease.. We have hold on your heart and body as well.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Tears welled in her eyes as the disastrous nature of her mistake dawned. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Shit.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryou’s hooded gaze darkened as he grinned at her, coming around behind her as he dipped his fingers in the water and teased her skin with those deadly black claws. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Indeed.”<br/>“What do you plan to do if you are able to regenerate...?” Kagome ventured, stamping at the fear threatening to overtake her. Ryou’s head tilted as he kneeled down, playing with the damp hair at the edge of the tub.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We intend to take our place in this world as a ruler again. Perhaps take a few things from the dogs that we find appealing.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome felt a painful stab of desire run through her every time the demon touched her. She wanted to cry, hide herself from his view the more it coursed through her. There was no shaking the feeling of violation as the Dragon Lord forced feelings of sexual desire on her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“They can’t smell it through the bath water.” She ground through clenched teeth. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are aware. The memories of your tryst weigh on us. Our body has not experienced pleasure in.. hundreds of years. Its hard not to want to have you do it again to satisfy our lusts.” He nipped at her ear and chuckled with his deep voice. “Now that you have access to all of their demonic power, don’t you crave more?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She refused to answer, hoping and praying that she still had the privacy of her thoughts as her mind raced trying to find another answer to this problem that had suddenly just become far more dangerous.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You have the names. The sooner you obtain information, the sooner we can all return to Kyoto once this contract runs out.” Sesshoumaru said, shoving the paper he’d snatched from the table on his way out. Touga’s eyes narrowed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Just because we made an in for you doesn’t mean we’ll let you take over. That girl still needs us.”<br/>“That woman will make her own damnable choices that continue to be a wrathful pain in our ass’, and as it is currently sitting, she will be bound to this island unless we come up with a suitable solution for the dragon, which currently, sits on that piece of paper.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga shook his head. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sesshoumaru, think for one fucking minute. You’re pissed about last night?” He demanded. “That’s understandable. Sharing has never been either of our strong suit. But didn’t something feel off? Doesn’t it still?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru was loathe to admit the general was right about anything... But there was a drain on him this morning that had him particularly irritable.<br/>“Are you fatigued more than usual? Because I am. I haven’t been tired like this since your mother and I last fought, and that was decades ago. There is something draining our power. And it happened last night.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru frowned at him, but considered his words and weighed their truth. He was exhausted. Sleeping didn’t come naturally to either of them, yet they had both slept through the night alongside the priestess. He still didn’t feel as though he’d gotten a good night’s sleep. Where some demons slept for pleasure, most powerful demons chose not to and capitalized on the unwasted time during the night. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The scales the original ritual was written on says that even half of the completed ritual gives the Dragon access to the priest’s energy. With access to the priestess as she is, the dragon has far more power than he had with the shrine’s original operator; the Shikon Priestess has been blessed with a well of power beyond our understanding.” He paused. “We suppose if she bedded demons, there would be a new well to draw from... Especially if the bond had been strengthened by delving into the Dragon Lord’s memories.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga’s mouth flattened in an angry line. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So Ryou Daimyojin just sucked away at our demonic energy by forcing the priestess to have sex with us as payment for looking into his memories. This is what I’m hearing.” Touga’s hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he crossed his arms over his chest. “So its possible we have just become a tool for the dragon to use... To what end?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s frown deepened. This was a question he could not answer. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Research the names and see what you can find, if anything. We will consult Kagome regarding other methods to temper the Dragon.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru and Touga parted ways as the elder demon headed for the sedan parked outside the cabin. He opened the door and went to electric kettle intending to begin a pot of water for himself and Kagome. A splash had his head turning to glance at the gossamer curtain she’d pulled for privacy and he almost looked back to the pot when the outline of a shadow grabbed his attention. The priestess was indeed sitting in the bath, but there was a massive presence behind her blocking the sun out. The outline of a man’s face and hands moving around her made his stomach drop. Striding over the threshold he yanked the curtain back and looked down on a terrified priestess, who stared at him with tears rolling over her cheeks. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">There was a small cut on the right side that had since scabbed over, but the look on her face had him bending down to the tub.<br/>“What happened?”<br/>“He’s here.” she whispered brokenly, voice shaking. “He’s coming, and he’s going to force me on you until he has enough power to materialize here, in the world.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru moved to touch her and she screamed, scrambling up and out of the tub, splashing water on the wood floor. <br/>“Don’t touch me. How he did it last night is how he’ll do it again. Don’t touch me.” She pleaded. Her naked thighs clenched and her hands struggled to cover herself as she reached for any scrap of cloth to cover herself with, even as she moaned. Sesshoumaru’s brows furrowed, and then the scent hit him. Her legs were shaking hard enough to bring her to her knees and she still shouted at him not to come closer, even as her heavenly arousal permeated the air like an edible perfume. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Please. This isn’t me, this isn’t what I want. Please don’t touch me.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s beast lunged through him, thrashing against its confines. The bitch before him was in heat, and the beast was prepared to rut. The muscles in his cheek jumped as he took a cleansing breath before moving around the tub to where she kept her towels. She had taken to cowering against the wall, legs clenched together as she kept herself in a tight ball, shaking as she rode out whatever the Dragon Lord was forcing on her. He draped one towel of her lap and another over her head and sat, cross legged beside the back door. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She was panting, trying to catch her breath, and shaking violently when a scream ripped through her. Swearing loudly she stayed there, shaking and stinking of sex for a full hour before she finally fell to her side, exhausted and drained. Kagome insisted Sesshoumaru not touch her with skin to skin contact. Instead, he grasped her last towel and helped her to her feet, sitting her on the edge of her bed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Feels like I just ran a marathon with a vibrator on my private bits.” She said with a shaky laugh. Her smile crumbled into tears as she buried her face into her hands. “I don’t know what to do right now, Sesshoumaru. I need help. I’m scared. I’ve never felt so out of control of my own body before...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He was fighting the urge to stroke her hair, to touch her in comfort.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We will look through archives until we find something useful. Perhaps you know someone with knowledge regarding the consecration of shrines.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t know. All I know, is right now I’m completely exhausted. I want to sleep, but I’m afraid to, and if I make another wrong move, its going to fuck all of us even more than it already has.” She sighed. “All I know, is that there has to be something about an heir to fix this problem. My gut tells me there is an heir, what I’m hoping is that this heir will be able to usurp the Dragon Lord’s power as their own. At least the absorption of the demonic energy into an heir of some kind...” Kagome paused. “Of some kind...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her mouth pursed as the shadow of an idea passed through her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How long have Aidan and Ryusaki been here?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru frowned at the swerve in direction. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Nearly a hundred years. Before the park was even made a government protected land. Why do you ask?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What if... Somehow... We were able to give them the power for the island?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s face seemed stuck in a perma-frown this morning; then again good news did not seem to be the theme of the day. <br/>“Why would one do this?” He inquired.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well, you stated you have no desire to be the conduit for the dragon’s power. Have the boys proven they shouldn’t have it?”<br/>Sesshoumaru didn’t answer, waiting for her line of thought to come around. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Well if they were the ones to take over this power and attach themselves to this area, which it sounds like they already kinda have...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shuddered before she turned and slapped at the air behind her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“FUCKING STOP IT.” She roared, her holy purifying power flaring dangerously through the room. Sesshoumaru was up and backing away from the angry priestess. The arousal in the air dissipated with the thunderstorm of her reiki. He could feel the priestess relax where she sat.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Who in God’s name were you just yelling at, Miko?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome turned back to him and blinked, seeming to realize she’d just been shouting at thin air and flushed.<br/>“Right. You can’t see him. Ryou Daimyojin has graced us with his presence, and every time he touches me, he has a say on my physical reaction. So for the record...” she sighed. “I think since last night, his plan is to get you to bed me until he has enough of your demonic energy to materialize. Which is why he keeps -” Kagome turned and swatted comically at the air again. “Touching me. To get a rise out of me.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Is this what upset you earlier?” he inquired. She nodded.<br/>“If you felt like you were out of control of your body, you might be a little frightened too.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then create a barrier and see what happens.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She gave him a confused look.<br/>“Now?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The feeling of snapping energy filled the room as she molded it into a pure barrier. Her scent disappeared behind it as did any trace of her emotional state; but the look on her face suggested relief. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Better?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Now if I could only have the fortitude to do this while I’m asleep.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s eyes narrowed.<br/>“Perhaps... sutras?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome gave him a deadpan look. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Would it work on you?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He snorted.<br/>“Hardly.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She blew out a puff of air.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then... That’s a hard maybe.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru moved to take her hand and felt his fingers sting as he neared the barrier.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You barrier is strong. Attempt a sutra. For our sake, attempt it so you may rest.” He said quietly. She appraised him for a long moment before nodding. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Grampa taught me a long time ago some of the basics. I could give it a whirl.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are delighted in, bash1018, secretlittlelies, Milomai19, DaisyStPatience, and cristine44! Constructive criticism is encouraged, as becoming a better writer is always the goal!<br/>Thank you for Reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Bereft of Amusement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought to erect a barrier. Ryuo couldn’t reach her, physically or verbally when it was up, and all she could see after it was up was a very irritated Dragon Lord, who had decided to sit in the darkest corner of the cabin, waiting for her to drop the barrier. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“If you can’t play nice, you won’t play at all.” She sniped at the demon sitting in her corner. He tilted his head, clearly not hearing her. She supposed it went both ways - if she couldn’t hear him he probably couldn’t hear her. A small, smug shake of her shoulders had Sesshoumaru clearing his throat from the kitchen area, calling her attention.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You realize we still cannot understand what the other is saying.” He commented.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He’s pouting in the corner now that he can’t touch me.” She answered, rising. Touga knocked on the frame of the door, brows knitted.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What happened that you have a barrier around you?”<br/>She looked back to the dark corner and noticed the demon sitting cross-legged now, appraising the doorway of the cabin like he was looking at candy. Kagome waved at the demon lord wildly with a scowl. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hands off you perv.” She growled. While Ryuo was mildly amused at what he read on her lips, he continue to appraise Touga with inquisition. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I said nothing, touched nothing. What the fuck is going on?” Touga directed his question at Sesshoumaru, who looked on the miko with a carefully schooled expression and a hand over his mouth. Sesshoumaru glanced back to him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Apparently, the Ryuo Daimyojin is sitting and pouting in the corner. Kagome said he materialized outside of her dreams and is trying to force couplings between...” He clicked his teeth, hand dropping away from his face, “the three of us... So he can use the demonic energy to fully form on this plain of existence.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga had a look crossed between bewilderment and concern before he looked back on her. Kagome’s mouth pursed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It sounds crazy, I swear by all my most beloved family its true. He’s right there. And if I don’t have the barrier up, he keeps inciting...” She paused, struggling with an explanation he would understand. “Sexy feelings, I guess. Apparently the closer I am to you two, the more demonic energy he can soak up through me from you... And apparently he shares the experience through my body.” Kagome shuddered. “Creepy... So here we are. Did you find anything out yet?”<br/>Touga gave her a snort.<br/>“Kagome, we merely sent off the list to Abe to consider the names as well as the dates. She’s the best researcher beside Myoga, and I put them both on finding out what the could with the limited information given.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, rising from her seat on the bed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So I think it would be a good idea to find just about anything else we can in the way of finding other ways to deal with this.” She glanced at the demon dwelling in the corner of the cabin, trying not to feel unnerved by the sight of those coppery orbs, glowing in the shadows. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I had hoped we could play nice, but I don’t think we’re going to get to anymore.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Another knock came at the doorjamb, and it was Aidan. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Are we all okay?” He inquired, brows furrowed. “We felt some unusual demonic presences last night, and wanted to check that everyone was alright..?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, smiling gently.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We’re fine for now. Just having some unusually frustrating issues with the shrine’s entity.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan frowned. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It has a residing spirit?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome fought not to give him a sarcastic look, and nodded. “The entity has a little more real world sway we didn’t expect.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But you can channel the energy and quiet it as the shrine’s keeper, right?” Aidan asked, now leaning against the frame of the door. Kagome took a deep breath.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Its been a little more unruly than not.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan frowned. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How so?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">This time, Sesshoumaru’s frustrated and exasperated woosh of a sigh snatched his attention. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It has been inciting some... Sexually solicitous deceits to extract demonic energy to enter the current plain of existence despite being dead for hundreds of years.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan’s features darkened as he thought. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hmm... That does sound like a problem.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome bit her tongue, not wanting to be sarcastic with the wrong person at the wrong time. He was attempting to be genuinely helpful, and just because she wasn’t well rested didn’t mean it was okay to bite his head off because she was frustrated. She was still keen on writing down some sutras so she could sleep without having to worry about the Dragon Lord entering her memories or dreams. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A shifting of shadows made her glance over at Ryou, who had his nose in the air and she could see his eyes narrow at the man standing in the doorframe. Kagome watched him with interest, wondering what about Aidan had his hackles raised. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Aidan, come here for a minute....” She said absently, still watching Ryuo’s developing reaction. The Dragon Lord’s eyes narrowed at her as Aidan approached, pausing at the barrier before he disappeared completely. The sudden de-materialization of the demon made Kagome start and she waved her hand at Aidan.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Wait! Wait, he’s gone!” She trilled, hopping to the corner, searching the air with her hands and finding nothing. Dropping the barrier she tested her new freedom with vicissitude, waiting for him to attack her. When it didn’t come, she bit her lip. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t know who you are or what your history is, but you’re coming with me, Aidan. If it means I don’t have to deal with that fucker, we are gonna keep you close.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan looked thoroughly confused. “Wait, the entity was here?!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, searching every corner of the cabin slowly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yeah... Ryuo’s been meddling all day, and I don’t know what you did, Aidan, but he just vanished.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan shrugged. “You’re welcome, we suppose.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome exchanged a look with Sesshoumaru, who had pushed off the counter and touched her shoulder where she was standing before they both looked to Touga.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Can you.. Maybe put in a request to do a thorough background check on Aidan?” Kagome asked sheepishly. Touga glared at both of them.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You realize you have a direct line to the same resources I do?” He answered impassively. Kagome watched Sesshoumaru’s brow quirk and a smirk take over his face as he pulled his phone from his sweatpants. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Dial Abe.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Boss?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The whelp that runs the Ryuo Daimyojin’s shrine - do a background check on the information he submitted to take this job.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru tapped his phone and slid it back into his pocket, smirk a full blown smile as Touga grimaced at him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“Laziness was never an attribute we fostered in you, son.” Touga ran a hand through his bangs, ruffling them before he turned back and hopped down the stairs. Kagome followed him outside and a glance off towards the shrine made her pause. There was an irregularity that had her walking towards the shrine on the surface. </span> <span class="tm5">Her feet lead her and before she realized it, she was standing beneath two newly blooming willow trees, too green for this time of year surrounding the shrine where the dead trees had originally been. Kagome frowned and a touch on her shoulder made her jolt. Aidan seemed midly surprised at its bloom, just as she was. </span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This place hasn’t had growth in.... Well, at least since the last priest was here.” He said softly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome studied Aidan.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You were here when it was?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“The trees stayed green during the winter months, and would bloom twice. Once in Autumn, and once in Spring with pink flowers. Its been hundreds of years since either happened. Usually, one takes this as a sign you have tended to the shrine the way you were meant to.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“Not this time..” Kagome muttered under her breath, turning on her heel to retreat in the direction she came.</span> </p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">~*~</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru opened the door to the manor for Kagome to enter, alongside her new best friend. Aidan seemed about as awe-inspired as Kagome was the first time she entered. They settled quickly, more or less waiting for Abe to return the call with information that would hopefully be relevant to the current situation. While they waited, Kagome made it a point to write through some sutras, hoping it would protect her during sleep. It wasn’t a cure all, and there was no guarantee it would work, but something was better than nothing at this point. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">There was a palpable tension throughout the manor as not only Touga and Sesshoumaru paced, but Kagome as well. Aidan watched them with amusement, completely relaxed as he splayed on the couch. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So what will this Abe female be able to tell you?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shrugged, fiddling with the pages of a book on the shelf she was standing in front of in the entertaining room. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Anything that is on paper, if not a bit more. She’s a little scary that way.” Kagome shuffled the book back between the other spines it came from. “Really, there isn’t anything Abe can’t find out.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She turned back to where Aidan was spread out on the couch and sat heavily beside him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Unless you can tell me a bit about your life yourself.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan lifted one pale brown, his charming eyes searching her without emotion. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We have lived a long life. Sometimes details are fuzzy. Be a touch more specific.” He answered, arms coming to rest behind his head and shuffling the trailing gold hair. The young demon had donned a pair of well worn leather pants and a band tee of some unrecognizable American brand before he had kissed Ryusaki goodbye and joined them. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How about your mother’s name, for starters?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“She called herself Yuwa.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yuwa...” Kagome recognized the name. “What kind of demon was she?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan smirked, leaning towards her as his eyes flashed copper and the pupils narrowed to slits. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are descended from Serpents and Dragons. Our mother never did mention what clan she came from, but rumor had it her name was Shimizu Yuwa. We never looked into it. By the time we came of age, we were more interested in where we were at, which happened to be this little spit of land.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The demon sighed, stretching languidly. “Snakes are not nurtured like most mammal, so it followed we were mostly alone throughout our childhood. Sado Island always felt like home. When we were old enough, we left, explored Japan, were offered a free pass to the main land and chose to stay here.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome tried to keep her face schooled, but she wanted at the list she’d shared with Touga. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So you’ve been here for... hundreds of years?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan gave another flippant shrug. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Something like that. There have always been attractive partners on this island, there has never been a real reason to leave. The weather is preferred. Food is abundant. We prefer it here.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, eyeing the blonde haired demon suspiciously before rising and meeting Touga in the other room. The air was tight in Sesshoumaru’s study as she entered, Touga pacing and thinking hard enough his frustration was colored all over his face. He looked up upon her entry and gave her a tight smile. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes, Higurashi?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do you remember a Yuwa being on that list of names?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga rustled through his pockets and found the crumpled piece of paper before handing it to her. She perused the list of names and found Yuwa’s name around the middle. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Call Abe back and tell her we may have found a plausible match. Shimizu Yuwa and Shimizu Aidan.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga tilted his head, but pecked her cheek and pulled his phone off Sesshoumaru’s desk, dialing the number he wanted to and continuing his pace around the library as he spouted off details.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What makes you think this is the one we’re looking for?” He inquired.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shrugged.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">“As dumb as it sounds, it fits. He looks </span> <em> <span class="tm6">nothing</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> like Ryou, but I promise you. If you saw the look on his face when Aidan came into the room, you’d agree going over this with me.” She answered. </span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So is the problem child with you now?” he inquired, brow raised. She shook her head. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Thankfully no.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s stomach twisted as Touga closed the distance between them, picking her up and settling her on the desk where his phone was. His lips were chaste, but his comfort warmed her belly out of the knots it was tying itself into. Her eyes continued to dart around the room, trying to keep an eye out for the Dragon. Touga’s gentle thumb on her chin stopped her for a moment, licking and nipping at her skin.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Tell us how you’ve been, little priestess. These are a lot of changes very quickly. Are you truly well?” He murmured. Kagome’s legs parted for his thighs as he came closer and planted his palms on the desk around her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m... Struggling. I feel like I’m floundering, like I knew what to do but failed to act quickly enough for it to be successful. I’m so worried about everything that could happen, and it makes it harder to want to make any decision at all. Like picking at a dam in the sand... Too much fiddling and it will fail completely.” She admitted, leaning back as he pushed forward.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He nodded, looking down over her before letting one of his big hands cover hers gently.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You have support. We are all working on fixing this problem.” He reassured, hovering just over her mouth as he said it. “An answer will present itself.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Closing the distance, she reveled in that delicious feeling he incited when he kissed her. It was a spark that went straight to her groin, and spread like a small fire in her belly. As he attempted to move closer, Kagome felt a thread of dread pull at her heart and the tickle of black hair curtaining around her made her stiffen under Touga. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She could feel Ryou behind her and before she could make a noise, his hand had wrapped around her throat, stopping even air from passing through her throat. A squeak was all she could manage as Touga grasped under her knees, pulling her towards the edge of the desk so she could grind against his cloth covered arousal. Tears gathered at the edges of her eyes as color burst behind them when Ryuo began meddling with her hormones. Pleasure surged through her chest and ran down her body like hot water, even through the tips of her toes. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It feels delicious, doesn’t it little priestess?” The Dragon Lord rumbled against her ear, loosening her throat long enough for her to take a breath. Kagome screamed the second she had her throat back, sending Touga stumbling back in surprise. The barrier was up again and the Dragon cursed behind her, spitting as his flesh hissed angrily from the burns. She was off the desk, spinning around and away from the Dragon. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You said you wouldn’t hurt me!” She cried out, appraising the dragon’s emotionless face. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We said so long as it amused us. It no longer amuses us to be subject to your whims.” He answered, monotonous. Touga reached through the barrier and snatched her back to rest on his chest, stroking her hair as she trembled. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hush, little one. You are safe.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">Kagome fought off the urge to cry and failed miserably. Inuyasha had been right - Ryou had fed her a trough load of bullshit so he could get what he wanted. If only he could complete the process by being present to say </span> <em> <span class="tm6">‘I-told-you-so!’</span> </em> <span class="tm5"> She buried her face in Touga’s chest and cried, frustration pouring through her until his gentle soothing growls brought her out of her misery. She snuffled and then frowned at him.</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How...?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">There wasn’t any indication he’d been affected by the purity of the barrier. In fact, he looked quite cozy holding her where she was. He smiled softly and buried a hand in her dark tresses.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You trust us implicitly. It is our charge to care for you, our holy right so long as you allow it. Until you retract your desire for safety and comfort, we will protect you no matter the cost. It is our divine conduct, the charge given by the Gods.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She inhaled, taking in his comforting scent and holding him close. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Thank you..” She rasped.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Our thanks to you for the privilege, little one.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan came sliding into the room, and Ryou’s scowl fell away like black sand, along with the rest of him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I heard a scream. What happened?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru was immediately behind him, and came for her where she was wrapped in Touga’s arms. He sensed the barrier and paused before reaching out to her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What happened?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome swiped at her eyes and leaned away from Touga.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Ryuo...”<br/></span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm5">~*~</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Upon closer inspection, a deep purple bruise was beginning to form around Kagome’s neck. Sesshoumaru could clearly see the imprint of fingers, and the beast in him howled for his bitch’s retribution. Blood needed to be spilt for this slight. He approached slowly, carefully, reaching for her. The sting of the barrier was nothing he couldn’t handle, and he pushed until he was through it and had his hands cupping her cheeks, wiping the tears away with his thumb.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Be not afraid. You are safe.” He murmured, kissing her forehead. Exchanging a heated glance with his father, both of them realized the same thing. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga had been in the same room with her when she was attacked, eyes on her. There was no possible way she would be safe, even with someone in the room. The only way she was going to find peace was where demons would be unable to tread, and even that was questionable. They still didn’t want to test what happened if they severed the bond between the shrine keeper and the dragon. With no way for either daiyoukai to press the offense, there was nothing to do but be defensive.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Where are the sutras you worked on today? You should attempt to rest.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, keeping the barrier in tact as she walked away from the demons in the room to collect what she’d been working on in the living room.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This is... An unprecedented problem. We’ve worked to keep humans alive, but this is impossible.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru had turned to watch Kagome leave, arms folding over the disheveled silver button up he’d donned. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are beginning to understand the priestess and her mischief now.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga came beside Sesshoumaru, having watched the priestess go as well.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Don’t tell me this is the kind of shit you dealt with on a daily...?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Two golden gazes slid to meet one another briefly, one bewildered and the other amused. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not daily. But at least biweekly. Can’t you keep up with her, General? We were under the impression she was a vigorous, flexible distraction.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru chuckled as he followed Kagome’s aura to a bedroom hearing Aidan mutter under his breath. “We knew she was sleeping with both of them..”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome was pulling a long sleeved white hoody over her head when he stopped at the bedroom.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Where are you placing sutras?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She motioned to the bedposts as well as the bottoms of the bed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I think I may burn a little sage as well, in offering.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He approved, but hated the scent. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“A wise decision. May we..?” He inquired, nodding to the chair in the corner. It took her a moment to consider what he was asking, but she nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Please do.” she closed her eyes and shook her head. “This is unreal.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She climbed into the bed and sat there with the covers over her lap for a long few moments, fiddling with the edges of her sweatshirt. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You can wake me up if I start dreaming right?” She asked timidly. Sesshoumaru nodded, settling into the leather armchair in the corner beside the bed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How will you know I’m dreaming..?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru leaned forward, elbows on his knees.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It is assumed you will present like you’re having a nightmare. It is not the first time we have pulled you from the depth of slumber to appease bad dreams.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She blinked, seeming surprised by his answer but settled in. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Can you sit beside me?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru rose, moving the chair to where she had lain on her side and was now face to face with her. Kagome’s eyes had developed dark rings, and there was fear and exhaustion dulling her eyes. A tousled mop of black hair framed her face as she looked on him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Inuyasha said I get into trouble like a child.” Her voice was soft on the pillow. Sesshoumaru resumed his position, elbows on his knees as his eyes softened.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“A word of wisdom from the mutt finally.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She gave him a pout.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I wish you wouldn’t call him that.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How would the half breed know we cared if we didn’t occasionally tug his proverbial tail?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s eyes looked heavy as they fluttered, fighting sleep. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You should sleep, Kagome.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’m scared.” She whispered. Sesshoumaru eyed the sutras and felt another tug of frustration. He rose and tested his limits even as she protested him leaving, and once he was finished, he kicked off his black shoes and socks, and inserted himself under the covers. None of the sutras blocked him, and he’d be damned if she fell asleep and stayed there because he was not protecting her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her protests softened as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close, pressing every inch of her small frame against his. She sighed softly, and when she scooted back as far as she was able, Sesshoumaru felt his chest compress. The crown of her head beneath his nose scented of only her, sweet and musky. Her breathing slowed until he was sure she was asleep, and when he was sure of this, he buried his nose into the nape of her neck and planted a small kiss there.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Worry not... Sleep in peace. We are here.” A deep rumble from him vibrated against her back as he comforted her with reassurances.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Unbeknownst to him, Touga had come to lean on the doorframe behind them, watching with a gleam of jealousy the old general would never willlingly admit to. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are FUEL. Thank you, BlackLacedCherry, Milomai19, bash1018, and cristine44! Constructive criticism is encouraged, as becoming a better writer is always the goal!<br/>Thank you for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Divertissement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sleep was deep, dark and demanding. The crushing of spiritual pressure all around her both stole her breath and gave it back, washing over her like waves. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Can ... Me?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She strained to hear the echoing voice in the darkness.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Can you hear me, priestess?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A gentle male voice resounded quietly in the darkness.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What do you want...?” She trembled. The pitch black around her wavered and she realized a humming pink aura was forming beneath her feet, lighting the floor around her. Her pink was met with another, off in the distance, and she slowly made her way towards the other source of pure reiki. It wasn’t long before she was upon a man with long black hair... She recognized him. He was from Ryou’s memories. The priest was sitting in black robes, a staff beside him as his eyes were closed in prayer. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You can hear me, yes?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes... What do you want.” She repeated, voice firmer this time. The man opened his eyes in surprise, and a warm smile spread across his face. <br/>“There you are.” he said gently, motioning for her to sit. Kagome looked around warily before she sat down across from him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I’ve been sensing a powerful spiritual purity for a few weeks now. You seem like you are the newest shrine keeper for Ryuo Daimyojin’s shrine.” He perused her and gave a light hearted laugh. “How funny, that it should be a woman. He prefers men in his company.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome only listened, not speaking.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Though he has seemed to find an unusual attachment to you, despite your gender.” The priest sighed. “I miss him deeply.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Her silence stretched between them uncomfortably. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I see his brashness has not wavered.” His voice held regret as he leaned forward, pointing to the bruises around her neck. Kagome inched back with his nearness, and the priest’s face fell in disappointed regret. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t blame you for your apprehension, Higurashi Kagome. Even with you being the Shikon Priestess, with a near limitless well of purifying energy, I understand why you would fear the Dragon. We did too.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The shadow of another young monk, completely bald in a purple robe appeared behind him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He is not an easy one to tame. You have much against you, and we are here to help you with this problem.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why?” She asked finally. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Because he can’t keep going like this. Ryuo Daimyojin is slowly losing his mind on his own; years spent in silence, unable to reach out to anyone can do that to any creature. And we love him too much to see him be burned from this world in anger.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then how.. What do I do to keep the people safe?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’ll need to complete the ritual.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome shook her head. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Absolutely not.”<br/>“There is a reason..” The priest insisted. Kagome’s suspicion and fear had peaked and she threw her hands out in front of her, thrusting purified energy at the priest. The priest bowed his head and let the energy wash over him, letting his eyes slide closed. The amount of energy Kagome had spent should have turned him into dust. The only exception would be if perhaps the rules of the world she lived in didn’t apply here.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Just because I can’t prove you’re a demon doesn’t mean anything here.” Kagome said angrily. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I am not a demon. Hear me out, Kagome.”the priest insisted. Kagome sat back a little further, still unsure. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Completing the ritual I wrote down will force the Dragon Lord to his knees. Power will be transferred between the two of you, and exclusively the two of you. It would be like both of you holding the same candle, and being able to light it or douse it whenever you liked. Ryou Daimyojin may rear his head and try to drown the island, but you will have the control to stop him.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The priest pulled a familiar scroll from his sleeve, and unrolled it.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This is why we insisted on the consecration by blood. Offering your life in servitude meant you would control his power at the behest of the people. Only a truly dedicated shrine keeper would be able to do this. Now; there is nothing that says the consecration cannot be transferred and shifted to another should you be unable to fulfill your duties. Unfortunately, that wasn’t something I planned on..” The priest blushed and scratched the back of his head. “I fell for the Ryou Daimyojin and never transferred the power properly to the following monk. Because of this, he was unable to fully realize the Dragon Lord’s power and channel it correctly.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome huffed. <br/>“Leave it to love to throw a monkey wrench in everyone’s plan yet again.” She griped.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The priest shrugged.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“In the scrolls, the Ryou Daimyojin shares his lifespan with you so long as there is a consistent flow of pure energy. Blessing the shrine and keeping it well maintained does this.”<br/>“Is it possible to transfer the energy to a demonic heir of his lineage?”<br/>The priest shrugged. <br/>“While I don’t know if its possible to transfer the power to another demon, I would frown upon it being transferred just as you do. But I believe it is possible. The only problem with this is, is that it is a guess. Not a promise. And as I believe you find it, completing the ritual does bind you to the shrine, and is therefore a risk you must be willing to take.”<br/>While the presence of Kagome’s body was most likely only energy, she could still feel her stomach melt a hole in the floor.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Will I remember this when I wake up?” She asked, a plan beginning to formulate in the back of her mind. The priest nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not in so many memories, but it is possible Ryou will find it there if he’s looking for it. You must distract him.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome bit her lip.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He’s not the only demon lord I’ll need to distract...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The priest gave her a perplexed look, and this time it was her turn to be embarrassed. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Right... I happen to have two overprotective Inu Daiyoukai hovering over me. They will not approve and will probably kill me before I even get to consecrate the shrine in blood... Speaking of which, how much blood will I need?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The priest gave her another shrug. “Even a droplet will do. Prick your finger, and offer it to the dragon’s skull. The shrine will be consecrated, and you will have Ryou Daoimyojin’s power to control.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome hesitated. <br/>“He won’t kill me once I have it, will he?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The priest’s eyes hardened.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This is where it is important to know you can take the demon’s power from him. All you must do is respond in kindness where he is violent, and his power transfers to you. There is risk... but...” The priest paused, tilting his head. “I have an idea.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome woke slowly, feeling more rested than she had in a long time. She was nestled under the covers, and a small movement showed she was also tucked into a very possessive demon lord who grumbled at the sudden shift and tightened his grip on her hips. There was the tiniest flare of panic at being so confined, but it went away at the press of lips on the back of her neck.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re awake.” Sesshoumaru’s voice rasped. Kagome yawned and stretched, reveling in the little pops as her body settled into wakefulness. She felt blissful, light. Her talk with the priest both helped her relax and put her on the slightest edge. But where before, she didn’t have a plan, now she had worked one out that hopefully would work. <br/>All she needed was to keep her calm and go about life as normal. She was still furiously curious about Aidan’s role in all of this, and the hope that he was what she thought he was. The good news was that even if he was not an heir of the Dragon Lord, she could transfer the power to a willing participant. Now all she needed to do was weaken her two helicopter dogs enough she could get away with what she was going to do. She squirmed out of Sesshoumaru’s grip and was at the edge of the bed when she came face to face with the Dragon Lord himself. His copper eyes narrowed on her with distaste as he put a single finger pad under her chin. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are onto you, and there is no possible way this is going to work, sweet priestess.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She blinked innocently at the angry demon lord.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She insisted softly, closing the gap between them and giving the surprised creature a quick peck before pushing him aside and taking a cleansing breath of the lingering sage smoke. Kagome was well rested and grateful for the protection she’d been afforded. It may have given her a false sense of confidence, getting good sleep, but she was going to roll with it. From certain details Ryou’s priest had given her, he seemed far tamer than he let on. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She rummaged around in her bag for a few minutes and snatched the necessary items before heading to the bathroom, leaving Sesshoumaru asleep as she went to wash. Stashing everything on the counter of the largest bathroom she could find. Evidently, this was Sesshoumaru’s personal bathroom, as the room she had walked through to get there was... Both understated and impressive. There was the bare minimum of any kind of decoration, and a large round bed covered in clean white cotton dead center. The door to a walk-in closet with all of his clothing was behind it, and to the right side was a large balcony with wrought iron railing. His bathroom was massive, with both a tub made for three people on one side, a toilet behind a door tucked in another corner, and a walk-in shower directly to her right. Smooth river stone had been embedded into the concrete, and there were easily eight different spouts where the water could come pouring out. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“This is my dream bathroom.” She said out loud, voice echoing as she stared around her in wonder. “All of it.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Fiddling with knobs here and there until she had the shower the perfect temperature and the right spout raining over her, she stripped out of her pajamas. It was exactly as she imagined, and she gave a small squeal of joy as the water washed over her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are an odd one...” Ryuo grumbled, now leaning against the doorway of the shower in his blue harem pants. “At least you know to bathe consistently. Humans have an unbearable scent when they refuse to wash.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I was raised to wash every day at least once. And I find the greatest pleasure in the world in a hot spring or a hot bath. Its my favorite place to be.” She sighed, raising her hands and stretching with a pleased sigh. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Another of the reasons we seem to get along well with you. Water is the element of our choice.” the dragon said offhandedly, still watching her curiously. “You have something. Some shred of information you aren’t sharing with is.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps.. If you got along with me in a manner that isn’t brutish I might acquiesce to something you ask me for?” She asked as she reached for Sesshoumaru’s very expensive bottle of conditioning shampoo. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“After finding out you aren’t interested in the true preservation of the shrine now that you are called to sacrifice. You cannot blame us for desiring self-preservation.” He looked over his claws, clicking them together. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“No, I can’t.” Kagome admitted, pouring a dallop of shampoo into her hand and rubbing them together before lathering the hair on her scalp. “But I do know that you need a shrine keeper, and I have a people to look out for. I can’t just leave you to your own devices without a suitable backup. Now if you behave, I’ll let you share this experience.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She sputtered some of the water out of her mouth before going about the slow rinse of her hair. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I thought we heard you in here.” Touga was now leaned against the door frame where Ryou had just been, arms crossed. He was giving her a soft, unassuming smile as she continued to bathe.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You seem in good spirits. Not nearly as jumpy as you were yesterday.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Not gonna lie. I’m pretty sure getting good sleep is making me feel better about circumstances than they are, but hopefully like you said, we’ll find an answer.” She said offhandedly, turning her back to the white hair demon and shaking her wet hair down over her back, still rinsing soap from it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Would you be receptive to us joining you?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome looked over her shoulder, smiling with mischief in such a way she knew he wouldn’t be able to resist even if she were to say no. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I don’t believe I could stop you even if I wanted to.” Her answer was soft and her eyes were a picture of </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">cum-hither</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5">. The muscles in his cheek twitched as his expression darkened, and as he was about to take a step forward with his hands on the buttons of the white business shirt he was wearing another white-haired demon snatched the back of his shirt and forcefully threw him back towards the bed that was in the center of the room. Startled, Kagome blinked at Sesshoumaru, who’s shirt was already open and being slipped off his shoulders. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">This was not exactly part of her plan. The last time they’d all three been together, it was an overwhelming experience. She’d hoped she could take them one at a time, and while one rested, she could wander down into the shrine herself. It was time to take a restock of her original plan and be more flexible. Another idea struck her and turned around, letting the water pour down the front of her. Sesshoumaru’s arm blocked the other Taisho’s gaze as his eyes narrowed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What of the Ryuo Daimyojin?” he inquired, his voice thick with tension. She could see his claws scraping into the stone of the entryway, the only other indication he was fighting himself from removing the rest of the shirt. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We made an arrangement. And you know, we don’t always have to... Y’know... Have sex..”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He smirked at her, watching her gaze turn misty and hungry as his thumb toyed with the waistband of his black pants. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Indeed.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The button popped open and Kagome swallowed hard. He was blatantly teasing her, and it was hard not to stare down the line of his stomach as his fingers played along himself, drawing her gaze. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Thats.. Not fair.” She faltered, tugging on a wet stream of hair. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fair has a very limited place in the world, little one. And you being naked in our shower is very much not playing fair. Especially when there is a no-touch order being given.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Now Sesshoumaru was deliberately sliding out of his shirt, and Kagome could feel her mouth salivating. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So while we may share these quarters, we fear...” The shirt dropped to the floor and he was now working the pants over his hips. ”... we will be unable to share the shower as you please. A bath may be in order.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Every piece of clothing hit the stone floor audibly, until he was standing in nothing but the beautiful markings and flowing white hair his mother had given him. Gods, but he was one of the most beautiful men she’d ever had the pleasure of witnessing undress. He was now looking beyond the shower towards the large bath, a frown marring his handsome face. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“On second thought... ” <br/>He strode towards the shower, messing with the knobs and a new stream of warm water a foot away from her rained down. Kagome took a step back as he turned his back towards her, giving her a marvelous view of his hind quarters. Clearing her throat she turned back around so she was back to back with the demon lord. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Thank you... For keeping me company last night. It helped me sleep really well, and I feel a lot better.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hn.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Dare I ask if I may join now?” Touga yelled from the bedroom. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“No.” Sesshoumaru’s baritone boomed and echoed off the bathroom walls. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome laughed and bent down to pick up the body wash up off the floor. Hands sliding up her hind end made her yelp in surprise, and Sesshoumaru steadied her with a hard bite on her shoulder, clearly enjoying the moan he extracted. She didn’t stop him, deciding perhaps it was better to enact her plan now. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hey! We have a call!” Touga shouted. “Abe has information we’ve been looking for.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews make my day, cristine44, BlackLacedCherry, and Reya_30! Constructive criticism is always encouraged, as becoming a better writer is the goal at the end of the day.<br/>Thank you for reading~!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Transference</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">If not for his deep familial bond (which really was more a courtesy than a real bond) Sesshoumaru would have gutted his father for his interruption. However, Kagome had washed the soap off of her hand and skittered out of the shower in a large towel so she could look over the information she had requested she read over. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I was right.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The three words out of her mouth made her the giddiest he’d ever seen the priestess. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Aidan is a descendant of serpents and dragons - including Ryou Daimyojin’s line. Pretty sure he’s a direct descendant of the Dragon Lord himself.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga nodded, flopping down next to Kagome.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So that is good news for us, right?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome nodded, chewing her lip. She was still very naked, and very enticing. Both Taishos were having trouble concentrating on the texted information as she was glancing around the room skittishly, looking for what he could only assume was the Dragon Lord, but she also clearly had the scent of arousal flooding through her anxiety. Apparently, his little striptease had indeed gotten a rise out of her. Instead of giving way to his sexual frustration, Sesshoumaru went into his closet and pulled out a pair of faded jeans, not bothering with underwear as he flung the towel towards the bathroom. He stood nude for a long few moments as he pulled the pants up his legs and carefully arranged himself before zipping and turning, only to find exactly what he expected - Kagome staring with parted lips. He was making a show of playing with the top button before Touga snatched the dumbfounded priestess and pulled her into his lap with a startled squeak. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Little one, you are driving both of us to distraction with your scent. I must ask if we are allowed to touch you, as we do not need another debacle as last time.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I -” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru buttoned the jeans and picked up the rumpled button up he’d discarded earlier to bathe with the priestess. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He raised a brow, holding her gaze and enjoying the quickening of her breath, the stirring of her heart, and took a step towards her. She didn’t flinched, but she was jolted out of her daze with the motion and she looked up at him with an innocent little blink. He knew her far better than that. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Another step forward and both he and his sire noticed her swallow, her hands now on either of Touga’s thighs. Her fingers dug into the general’s legs as Sesshoumaru made his measured approach. He discarded the shirt and began unbuttoning his jeans again. Her eyes were flicking over him even as he presented himself to her. She pushed off of Touga, eyes hooded as her fingers played along the planes of his stomach and he hissed through his teeth when she bit him hard enough to hurt on one side. Her demeanor held mischief as one finger teased the skin under the waistband of the jeans, and he pulled the zipper down. Kagome’s forehead rested on his hip and gasped when he spilled from the opening. Eyes flicking up, she brought one hand up and drew the gentlest line over his cock before running her tongue over the hardening tip of him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Fuck... please.” Came his throaty groan.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The hand he buried in her hair gripped a handful of it. She didn’t need to be guided as she leaned forward, her towel pooling in her lap as she practically consumed him. Sesshoumaru’s head fell back and his mouth open with a harsh exhale. The sweet, warm, softness of her mouth had his heart jumping in his chest and cock spasming at the sheer delight of it. It wasn’t until she made a cry over his cock while it was nearly down her throat he knew what true bliss was. The sudden vibration and tightness had him seeing stars and he fought with the feeling so he would last longer. Looking down he saw the cause responsible for his current euphoria - Touga had take this opportunity to reposition himself, and slip his fingers down through the thick black towel to begin playing with that pearl at the top of Kagome’s entrance. His skilled fingers were weaving around it as he sucked at her shoulder, biting it occasionally so he could extract another moan from her. He had a devilish smile on his mouth when he noticed Sesshoumaru’s glare. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Don’t tell me it isn’t enjoyable.” He teased lustily, pressing his fingers particularly hard. Kagome all but screamed around his thickness and Sesshoumaru swore, pumping his hips forward. She took the extra length rapaciously and pulled his hips forward, encouraging the movement again. Surprised as he was, Sesshoumaru was too far gone to protest and began as gentle a rhythm he could despite he desperate desire to plunge all the way down her throat. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She cried out again over him and when he looked down this time, Touga had managed to unzip himself and impale her on his length. The Inu no Taisho had a look of pained pleasure on his face as the priestess moved her hips over him, and when she couldn’t seem to get the friction she wanted, she sucked Sesshoumaru harder into her mouth as though that would make up for her need. She moaned again when Touga spread her legs over his lap and leaned back, laid out over the bed with his claws firmly on her hips. One thrust and Sesshoumaru was out of Kagome’s mouth with her cry of pleasure. Her look of rapture made his cock twitch and he kissed her mouth, swallowing her groans with the greed of a man having been made to be thirsty for far too long. When he came away, he used the hand in her hair to demand her attention.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Tell us - does his cock feel good inside of you?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s eyes widened at his suddenly crass mouth with surprise, soon melting back into pleasure when Touga’s thrusting didn’t stop and she shook her head in the positive. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How does it make you feel, Kagome? Tell us... Use your own words..” He growled against her lips.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Eu-Euphoric.” She stammered, loosing another moan. Sesshoumaru smirked on her mouth, biting the lower lip.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Keep going.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“L-like I’m going to cum.” She panted, face crumbling with need. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are forbidden from cumming before we do.” He said, jerking her hair again to face him. Her eyes watered.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Gods... Sesshoumaru... Soo..” She couldn’t get it out before he covered her mouth again, sucking her tongue into his mouth and nipping at it. She was torn away when Touga arched hard, one particularly hard thrust making her shriek in surprise. Sesshoumaru stepped back a pace or so as he fisted his hand over his cock, enjoying the slickness her mouth had provided. The couple on the bed were writhing, Kagome bouncing on Touga’s lap as he thrust and ground up into her. She looked to him and crooked a finger, asking for his cock again. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Beg us for it.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She did, unabashedly demanding he fill her mouth before she grew angry. He cupped the side of her face as he guided her back over him, growling with her gentle scrape of teeth. Touga had slowed just enough to let him ride her mouth to completion, and he was not far behind afterwards. Kagome, however, had not cum as was demanded. She lay quivering on Touga’s stomach, before Sesshoumaru leaned over her, trailing his hands over her sweat drenched body before coming to a stop at the mound of her opening.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are far from done with you, little one.” He growled against the soft flesh there, giving her a languid lick. She trembled, but gave him a look that made him flash his fangs in a truly demonic grin.<br/>
<br/>
~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Both Taisho men were snoozing naked on the bed when Kagome finally extracted herself from between the two of them. She looked back at the pretty picture they made, both almost not even covered by the tangled sheets of the bed. Ryou Daimyojin was smiling almost dazedly as he appraised the pair beside her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“That was truly enjoyable. We are pleased to have been invited to share this time.” He preened. “They are.. Vigorous.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome ignored him in favor of finding the clothes she had stashed in the bathroom. She kept her soft laughter to herself as she realized she hadn’t even need the black lace panties she’d been saving for a special occasion. Rolling her wool stalkings on she slipped her comfortable gray dress on as well as Touga’s hoody before padding quietly out of the room, but not before kissing both of them on the cheek. She found Aidan and had him call Ryusaki, all the while gathering a few other things she might need. If she didn’t make this quick she may not be able to get away with it before her protectors awoke. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Just as the priest in her dream had said, she sapped enough of their energy to put them to sleep after sex. It was the distraction she’d decided on. They waited outside the gate for Ryusaki and Kagome tried to tamp down her nervousness, turning to Aidan.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So, one of the things we found out today was... You are actually an heir to the Dragon Lord’s legacy. Its probably part of why you feel so comfortable here.” Kagome started. Aidan didn’t look the least bit surprised.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“It follows we would be of decent breeding.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She snorted. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Of course this wouldn’t phase you. Gods, you are truly just like your father. I’m fairly certain the entity of the shrine is your direct father. Because of the way he was attached to the shrine, his legacy was never carried over. The power he holds over the land is still stuck where its at because the priest that kept the shrine didn’t bother to transfer the energy from himself to another keeper. The good news is, I can do this. What I want to know, Aidan, is if you want it?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan tilted his head.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Why wouldn’t we want power?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome scowled at him, her hands on her hips. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Because I have no problem purifying your ass once the power is transferred. If I’m willing to go this far to restore balance to this island, I have no problem looking for another out. But this land needs healthy demonic energy to bring the seasons, and keep the ocean in check. That is a responsibility that falls to the keeper of the shrine, which would thereafter be yours if we do this the way I want to.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The beat up little truck pulled up and Ryusaki’s charming face crumpled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We smell cum.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Someone was busy... Didn’t even wash did you?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome rolled her eyes and scooted to the middle seat, Aidan sliding in after her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You demons and your disgusting sense of smell.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“A gift and a curse, to be sure, Lady Kagome.” Ryusaki teased, pressing the peddle to the metal. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So what do you say, Aidan? I can help you for the first year of training before you completely absorb this demonic energy, and Ryou Daimyojin should be willing to aid you as your sire.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">In the background from nowhere she heard his voice.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Speak for yourself, Priestess.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She shook her head, and looked to Aidan, who seemed to genuinely be mulling it over. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes. We will help you. If only to allow for our home island to continue thriving as it has.” Aidan finally answered after a long silence. Kagome’s heart leapt and she couldn’t contain her joy as she hugged the pale demon, who gave her an annoyed look but didn’t pull away. Ryusaki chuckled to himself.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Okay, lets hurry before the boys find out I’m gone.” She said, releasing Aidan. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“As you wish, Lady Kagome.” Ryu said softly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">They hurried down the mountain, arriving at the shrine within minutes of the drive. Kagome practically pushed Aidan out and dragged him towards the shrine.<br/>
“I can’t do this without a powerful demonic presence to help me get there. Hurry up. Once we’re past my barrier, neither Sesshoumaru or Touga can stop me.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan went along as directed and Kagome was sure she was home free when they made it to the rock and down t he stairs. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“KAGOME.” Boomed two powerful male voices. Kagome jumped but she shoved Aidan back as hard as she could, conjuring a pure barrier before they could stop her from entering the shrine below. Blessedly, she pushed Aidan far enough away he was unharmed by her barrier, and she had managed to tumble headfirst into the second barrier fast enough that there was nobody able to enter the second barrier with her. She saw it close behind her with a shimmer of energy. Sighing, and knowing she’d have one hell of a piper to pay, she gathered herself and made her way to the dragon’s body. Ryou had been following her, not uttering a word as the ascended the steps. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome searched the large front pocket on the sweater she was wearing, and found the safety pin she’d stashed there. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Alright, Ginichi.. This better work.” She mumbled, pricking her finger hard. Flinching at the pain she waited for the blood to well up and approached the humming skull cautiously. Swallowing, she got down on her knees and said a prayer of protection before she pressed her bleeding hand to the nose of the dragon’s skull. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The air charged and Ryou’s presence behind her became impossible to ignore. He gave a roar that shook the timbers of the shrine. Turning, Kagome faced the roaring dragon with a shy smile. Once he was done bellowing, Kagome closed the distance and leaned up on her tip toes to caress his cheek before letting her fingers slide back over his ear and pinching it softly. The man before stared, shocked, as the priestess kissed his chin and smiled gently. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Ginichi says hello. He misses you in the other realm. And that he loves you.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Every word felt like she was inhaling fire as the demonic energy she was staying resided in her, resting. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Ginichi..?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The massive man before her fell to his knees, confusion on his brows.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“But... He was nowhere in your memories...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then you haven’t searched recently, which is why I had to do this so fast. Didn’t need you catching on to what I knew.” She bent down and tapped his nose with her index finger. The Dragon Lord’s face was one of regret and sorrow, his copper eyes searching her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We loved him deeply. Losing him was...” The big man looked away, cradling his head in his hand. Kagome, rife with the demonic energy she was shielding from him, pulled into her memories and tapped at the consciousness deep within Ryuo’s memories.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Beloved, don’t be saddened.” Kagome’s voice had another trailing after it, and Ryuo’s head shot up, his hand grasping at Kagome’s.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Pureshasu...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He kissed Kagome deeply, passionately, and Kagome couldn’t find it in her to stop him. He genuinely believed he was kissing his long lost lover, and she wasn’t about to take away his only source of comfort. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Are you ready? We have longed to see you again. You must pass into this realm when you are ready, once the priestess gives your energy to the proper heir of your legacy.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Truly?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes, aisoku.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryou swallowed thickly. “Then yes. We are prepared to teach the whelp.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome brushed her hand through the demon’s silken tresses and sighed in content. The priest had been truthful, and she was able now to call Ryou’s most potent demonic energy to her. Letting the conscious slide back into her psyche, she blinked a few times and swallowed.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Come on, we need to get this transferred to your heir.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryuo kissed her palm softly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes, Lady Kagome.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He stood, and followed as a dark shadow closely behind her. Because of her transfer, she was able to still make a pure barrier to get out, and now she needed no assistance with the demonic gate, as once she shared Ryuo’s energy back to him, she had a powerful demon to open the secondary gate for her. Beyond the gate, there were four demons waiting for her. Ryusaki and Aidan looked on expectantly, while the red in Touga and Sesshoumaru’s eyes told her they were so far from pleased, she wasn’t sure she’d make it out alive. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She gathered her courage like petticoats around her and huffed at the two demons.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We’ll discuss this later.” Her voice wavered, and she cursed herself for appearing afraid.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“She has done as was bidden by Ginichi. She is now bound to the shrine.” The demon behind her boomed. All four of them looked at the massive man behind her, and Kagome did a comical double take at him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Wait. Now you can all see him?” She floundered.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan nodded, as did Ryusaki. Kagome’s face scrunched. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Of course. Okay. So now, we have to transfer this demonic energy to an heir in a similar act of consecration. Are you ready, Aidan?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The blonde haired demon nodded, kneeling before her. Kagome swallowed. The blood still ran freely from her hand as she whispered the blessings Ginichi had taught her before she awoke. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I charge you - protect and serve the island for the good of all.” She added for good measure. “Now, wash yourself in our blessing and take this burden.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome let her bleeding finger drip over Aidan’s forehead. The demon’s eyes lit, and Kagome felt the energizing presence inside of her begin to quicken, rushing through her fingertips. It felt like being deflated, like a balloon losing all of its helium. Aidan’s coppery eyes fluttered open, burning like rose-gold. Panting, Kagome could feel Ryuo slip away behind her, before disappearing completely, and when he was gone, Kagome felt her knees give out as exhaustion crept in.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Aidan shuddered, and lightning flashed off the coast as clouds gathered. Once he had his bearings, he looked towards the storm, then looked at the air beside him and grinned. A flash of orange light and Aidan had transformed into a brilliant orange dragon with beautiful golden horns. The beast dove for the water and disappeared beneath the waves. Before their eyes, the storm cell dissipated, and the great golden sea dragon had reared out of the water joyfully. Kagome smiled softly, pleased with her work but too tired to move anymore. She passed out on the cool ground, giving way to the fatigue. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Reviews are delighted in, DaisyStPatience, cristine44 &amp; BlackLacedCherry! Constructive criticism is always encouraged as becoming a better writer is the end goal.<br/>Thank you for reading!<br/>Much love to all of my readers and reviewers and fair warning - One more chapter to go! You sticking with me through this adventure has been wonderful, and I hope to bring something to the table with the upcoming seasons you'll enjoy.<br/>Thanks again for taking this journey with me!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. The Final Continuance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“She’s an idiot.”<br/>“Hn.”<br/>“A fucking moron.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Hn.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You can keep this troublesome one.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“On second thought, never mind.. Scratch that last one. But she is still an idiot.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We have told you as much. It is no fault of ours that you do not listen to us.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How has she been?”<br/>“Asleep mostly. In and out of consciousness, but we believe it was harboring a demonic entity for as long as she had. Priestesses were not meant to be possessed by demons.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A snort followed by a sharp laugh.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“And they were meant to be fucked by them?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He he...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The conversation continued for a touch longer. There was a lightness in Kagome’s head she wished was in her body, which at the current time felt like it was being weighted down by lead. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Inuyasha...” She croaked, trying to sit up from her bed and look around the room. She had been taken back to her cabin, apparently and a fire was crackling in the other corner. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“He is not present. You have this one to look after you for now.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">”... mm..” She groused, scowling and falling back. “I feel horrible.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Oh?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Like someone tried to land a plane on me.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then you must rest.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How long have I been out?” She asked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Two days.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Then I can’t -” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You will.” His tone left no room for argument. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“After your last idiotic stunt, we encourage you take a break from being foolish, Kagome.” Touga added gruffly. She turned her head towards the kitchen where the two Taisho demons were leaning against her counter and stuck her tongue out. Both sets of gold narrowed at her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do not start that which you are physically incapable at the moment of finishing.” Sesshoumaru warned darkly. This did not cow Kagome in the least. In fact, if not for her tag-along she would have wanted to put more effort into the last tryst between the three of them. <br/>Now that she was truly released from the danger of the shrine, having solved the demonic energy problem of Sado Island, she wanted to properly explore all these feelings about the two Taisho daiyoukai. Touga had, instead of returning to Kyoto, opted to stay on the island and assist in her mission. He cared deeply, and while she had a hunch it had more to do with spirituality than anything, it had morphed in time he came here. Now she wasn’t sure what exactly he was gaining from these trysts, other than good sex. Touga didn’t do things just for the sex, per se. There were always other motives when it came to her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">And Sesshoumaru’s touch had changed drastically. Kagome slid down into the covers, hiding her flushing face before the two watching her could tell what she was thinking. His touches were feather light and loving. The warmth in his eyes made her evaporate, and somehow, the demon had learned the same trick his father had. Every kiss made her melt into molten desire. She loved it. And being surrounded by that loving feeling, the gentle strokes and caresses that made her sigh and coo. It was why she wanted to try it at least once unhindered by demonic presence that felt like forcing it. She wanted the choice to be wholly hers. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Go back to sleep, little one. You are safe.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“How is Aidan?”<br/>Sesshoumaru came to sit on the edge of the bed, stroking her tousled hair out of her face. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Taking to his new power swimmingly. Nothing out of place, and the island is enjoying a prosperously warm streak of weather for winter. Not nearly as much storming as usually happens here during that time.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome smiled peacefully, laying her head back down on the pillow. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So... Now that I don’t have an unseen demon hanging around my neck, can I, uh... Maybe get some snugs?” She asked, blinking innocently. Sesshoumaru gave her a restrained smirk.<br/>“We had the last shift, and work is calling regarding the status of your recent victory. We have yet to put an official report in, and it would be best coming directly from the Western Lord.” He glanced over at Touga, who pushed off the counter with a warm grin.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I gratefully accept this charge.” He touted, slipping shoes off as Sesshoumaru rose.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Wait!” She called. Sesshoumaru paused, eyebrow lifting in question.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Kiss me... Before you go.” she said softly, stomach fluttering at her own request. His head tilted, but he knelt back down and brushed her lips, using his hand on her cheek to deepen their kiss before he slowly backed away.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We will be back soon.” he assured her, pecking her forehead. She nodded as he walked back out the door. Her gaze was drawn by Touga, who was slipping his black shirt off as well as his jeans before sliding into bed and drawing her into his arms.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Now sleep little one. The world is righted for now, and you must rest for the next time you save it.” He teased, hands firmly drawing her into his chest. The small patterns he weaved with his claws on her back made her tired all over again. She hummed happily, tiredly, and slipped off into darkness again.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">When Sesshoumaru finished the oral report to Abe Ansatsu’s father at the Ministry, he returned back down the mountain and entered the cabin Touga and Kagome both snored softly, and the fire had burned low with no stoking. Outside, the ground was beginning to freeze with the nightfall, and he went to get the firewood for the evening. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“She is truly formidable. Its a shame she lay so unclaimed.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Coppery eyes flashed in the night at him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Ryou. What an unwelcome surprise.” He growled at the prowling shadow. The demon stepped into the light, revealing the wide, sharp-toothed grin he was donning.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Come now, you’ve had worse. Much like learning we enjoyed sharing you with the priestess.”<br/>Sesshoumaru felt his claws extending, acid forming at the ends.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Do watch what you say of our priestess.” He warned. “You may be dead, but we have family members that would be willing to resurrect you simply to let us kill you again.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The grin faded to a smile, and the Dragon Lord blinked slowly, burying his hands in the sleeves of the black silk haori he wore. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We do not come to taunt. We come to give our benediction.” He submitted. “Without your clever little priestess, there would be no moving forward. Mistakes were made at the shrine she was willing to sacrifice herself over to correct, no thanks to you.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru scowled at the demon, but made no move to speak.<br/>“For this, we offer her and you on her behalf, our gratitude. We go this night to join our beloved Ginichi. There is one thing we offer her in our gratitude. Please, go down to the shrine and lift the claws of our body. There should be a small gift there that is part of a set. The other piece is on the opposite side. Give this to your priestess and our blessings.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Ryuo’s copper eyes faded as he bowed and back away into the darkness of the night. Sesshoumaru’s nose sampled the clear night air. There hadn’t been a trace of the Dragon before, and there was no lingering scent after. Sesshoumaru moved back to the cabin with three pieces of wood in his hand. Both Touga and Kagome continued to snore soundly, and Sesshoumaru felt a pang of jealousy as he positioned one of the pieces on the fire. Before dressing down, he stood by the fire to warm up, and came around the other side of the bed, slipping in to press his chest to Kagome’s back. He was somewhat unnerved by the feel of his father’s hands at her back, and moved them to cradle her head beneath the pillow they shared. Lining himself with her back, resting a hand on her thigh, he found his eyes growing heavy when he rested his chin at the top of her head. Before long, he too, had slipped into the peace of sleep.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Silver Sandwich... Kagome grumbled and buried herself farther into the warmth around her. Someone had shifted and let a cool gust of air hit her nose. She instinctively found the warmest part of the bed and pressed her advantage. The warm skin shifted and moved away and she felt herself snatch at whoever’s waist it was, gripping firmly before pulling them back.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Quit it.” She rasped. “I’m freezing.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Little priestess, I will be back presently after I have relieved myself and thrown a log on the fire that has burned low. It will ease your chill. Turn over if you need more warmth, you have another pillow right behind you.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome’s eyes cracked as she glared up at Touga who chuckled at her wrathful eyes before making his exit. She did as he suggested and turned over, blinking tiredly at Sesshoumaru’s sleeping face. The expression was peaceful and blank, and molesting that seemed completely wrong. Instead, she played with the strands of hair falling over his chest as he breathed slowly. There was plenty of time to consider things between the three of them, but as she watched him sleep her heart clenched. She would always be swayed to his side, she acknowledged this. He would always be her first pick, even if he was an being an asshole. She hoped this change in him would stick, but there would always be lingering doubt...</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">*</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">That first time had been a complete accident. She was yelling at him over something he’d said to Shippou, in tern causing the poor kit to tremble his lower lip and take off into the forest crying. The rest of the group moved to find the poor kit while Kagome gave Sesshoumaru a sound verbal lashing, something about being a bully taking his irritation out on children being in itself childish, along those lines. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">He’d snarled at her and picked her up with his one arm. She tried to balance herself properly and with a solid swing of one of her legs, she planted her foot in his chest with a heavy thud. While it didn’t hit any harder than a gnat’s fart in a gust of wind, he did step back and trip ungracefully over a large branch, bringing them down hard. Sesshoumaru landed on his back and Kagome on his stomach, using her hands to balance on his chest. Both of them stared up in mild shock.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“You are a meddlesome pest, and should have been dealt with long ago, impetuous bitch!” He sniped.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“And you are impossible to work with because of your stuffy nature. You really should have the stick shoved up your asshole checked by a local physician.” She shot right back.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">The demon blinked at her, and before she knew what was happening, he’d leaned up, grabbing her by her collar and jamming his lips against hers in a forceful dance of tongues. Kagome hadn’t even realized she’d been moaning but when it hit her who she was locking lips with, she scrambled away, licking her lips and swallowing hard. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“Gods, your such an asshole!” She shouted as she stomped away. She could feel his eyes on her as she fled, hungry for something more. They fought for another two days before Kagome, after one of her most recent fights with the aristocratic assassin, snatched up her bathing things for a dip in whatever waters she could find. Even a cold river would do. She hadn’t got terribly far before she bumped into the chest of one still seething Sesshoumaru.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“We were not finished.”<br/>“If you wanted to fight, you should do it with Inuyasha. You sound just like him when you argue.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">That had been his snapping point. He grabbed the back of her blouse and forced her hand against the nearest tree, bending over and snapping his hand across her backside before leaning over her.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“Submit.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">Kagome fought the sudden burst of pleasure down her spine at his motions.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“Did... Did you just... spank me?” She laughed. Sesshoumaru’s irritation grew mildly, and she was sure the only reason he hadn’t gotten angrier was because she was sure he could smell the arousal lacing through the air. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“I mean... If that’s all I get when I piss you off..” She giggled, head hanging as she tried to hide her mirth. A loud crack of skin on skin resounded through the glade and she gasped, jerking her head around.<br/>“What the hell -” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">CRACK!</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">She yelped and her loins began to burn. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“S-stop it.” She ground between her teeth. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“We smell no reason to stop.” He shot back, raising his hand for another. His hand cracked against her bottom again, and this time, she loosed a soft gasp.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“Please...”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“No. Submit, and there will be reward.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">Both her hands scratched into the bark when he smacked her again, and she swallowed harshly to dissolve the sounds he was coaxing from her. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“I submit!” She finally said after another hard slap. “Please...”</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">She pushed her backside into his caressing hand with a quiet huff. She felt him flip her skirt up over her hips, soothing the reddened skin and sliding her panties to one side as a low moan erupted from her mouth while he played. </span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">“Good bitch...” He rumbled, pressing heated skin to hers.</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">*</span>
  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She flushed at the memory swarming back, smiling at it. Who knew all it would take for a lasting relationship to build was a good spanking? Sesshoumaru sighed as he awoke, and Kagome scooted closer. He pulled her in and rested his chin on her head, his smell flourishing over her. <br/>“You smell fantastic.” She muttered. He chuckled, and she could feel his wandering hands begin tugging at the band of her pajama pants, cupping both of her cheeks and giving them a playful squeeze. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So what now, Lord Sesshoumaru..?” She asked softly. “I’m still under contract to care for the shrine here, and part of this was to create sympathy between humans and demons.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s grip pulled her flush, and he inhaled over her hair.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Our conversation with Abe was not a good one. After we completed the oral report for this situation, she gave me an update on the others. Out of four shrines in this project, one has had their priest killed in dealing with the entities at the shrine, one was hospitalized, and two are currently unreachable or missing. While technically you are the only success of the four, you were hospitalized trying to deal with the messes made by demons attempting to control the spiritual side of the island and have no assistance from humans.” He noted Kagome’s shift as she gave him a concerned look. <br/>“The Ministry is pleased humans are as necessary as they are for the spiritual health of their nation; however this also means there is a need to re-assess the danger of the situations we have put the priests in.” He sighed. “You got... Lucky?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome snorted, covering up a laugh before poking his chest. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“YOU got lucky.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You’re not wrong.” The lingering </span>
  <em>
    <span class="tm6">‘You aren’t right either!’</span>
  </em>
  <span class="tm5"> permeated his statement. She squirmed in his squeezing hands, laughing.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“So my contract still stands, right? I’ll be here for the rest of the year to improve demon and human relations before I get to got back right?”<br/>Sesshoumaru grunted.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We believe we can allow for this, but unfortunately we will also be needing to check on the other islands and seeing what happened to our employees. We did not expect to have to face so much hostility. And if you are any kind of intelligent, you will renegotiate your contract so we may cover you as a professional in your field and get you the money you have rightfully earned.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome enjoyed his wandering hands and cooed as he played along the sensitive parts of her slit. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I did nearly get killed because you did something stupid... ” She sighed. A light slap on her bottom made her squeak. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You did that part on your own.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She laughed and fell silent. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You do know...” She said, feeling her nerves get to her... “I.. All of me fought against it. I tried to kill the feelings when the came up again... But I can’t shake this.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s hands stilled and she looked up. He was looking off in the distance, but his hands were still lovingly keeping her in place as she watched his reaction. Her nerves thinned but she pressed on.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I have loved you since...” She paused thinking and laughing. “Since the first spank.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">A smile tickled the corners of his mouth. <br/>“Since the first time you were completely speechless.. The first time you said you needed me.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She tucked her head away, trying to pretend there wasn’t a sheen of tears misting her eyes. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I can’t not. But I need you to understand something..”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His hands had continued their gentle motion over her, nearly distracting her from what she was trying to get out before she gave in to his sweet touches. She reached up and gripped his handsome face between her hands. The pure energy she bid above her hands sparked in warning.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I will kill you myself the next time, any time, you lay a finger on me in anger, or with the intention to hurt me, and I will mourn over the ashes you leave behind when I rid the world of just another man who beats his women. Then I will go back to fucking your father out of spite to make me feel better until I’m ready to move on.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">What Kagome did not expect at her threat was the tap of his hardness against her calf and his groan.<br/>“As you please, priestess. But we had no intention of monopolizing you; the Inu no Taisho made clear you are the one to call the shots...” He pushed his face through her hands and nipped at her lower lip. “And we have enjoyed being at your beckon call. The way you look between us is...Revivifying.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Kagome found herself under the demon lord as he shuffled their positions. His arms caged her as he made slow work of her mouth, stoking that fire inside of her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Submit?” He questioned against her mouth. She sighed, pleasure pulsing through her.<br/>“For now..” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He rolled her over, throwing off the comforter and she was stuck by the contrast of the cold air versus the heat rolling off Sesshoumaru. He had pulled her up on all fours and was pulling her pajamas off, pushing her panties down, and yanking her up to relieve her of her camisole as well. When she was completely naked, he pushed her back down onto her hands and knees and positioned himself behind her, making a worshipful example of her body as his hands drifted over her skin, teasing her with his claws and marking her with nips all over. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I need more, Sesshoumaru. Please...”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Instead of mounting her like she assumed he would, he laid beneath her and pulled her intimates over his mouth. His tongue plunged home and she whimpered, knees shaking with the sudden slick assault on her nethers. He brought one hand up and began to press his thumb in slow circular motions over her clit, and she had to restrain herself from suffocating him as she cried out. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“What a lovely picture to come back into.” Touga’s deep voice snapped her attention. She could see the outline of his hardening member coming to life in his boxers, and with Sesshoumaru’s attentions being lavished on her, it made her want to return the favor even if it wasn’t to him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You look like you need something, Kagome.” He said softly, lust flooding through his visage. “Tell me, what are you in need of?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He was tormenting her, now pulling his length through the hole and stroking it with his palm. She licked her lips, eyeing his thick length before she met his gaze. <br/>“I’m not hearing any requests, darling.” Touga sat on the edge of her bathtub, a short distance away as he planted his feet on the wood floor and spread his legs, hand now casually stroking his cock. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru’s tongue came away from her only to have his mouth suck hard on that sensitive pearl, making her cry out again. Touga tutted, squeezing his shaft in front of her as her brows knitted together in pleasure.<br/>“You are radiant when you are being ravished. What a delight to watch.” He growled, squeezing himself harder. Kagome panted jealously as she watched him pleasure himself. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I want you..” She rasped, her fingers tightening on one breast as Sesshoumaru’s talented mouth sucked her hard again. She choked on the words and fell forward on the mattress, shaking as her first orgasm rolled through her like a freighter. Looking up through her tousled back hair, Touga had come away from the bathroom, having slipped his boxers off and left them laying on the floor to stand directly before her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You want me?” He inquired, sounding almost innocent despite the desire rolling from him as he continued to stroke himself. She gave him the barest of nods, now focused on the motions of his hand. She missed Sesshoumaru’s careful extraction from under her, now behind her, and the glance the two Taisho Daiyoukai shared. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Are you prepared to take us?” He asked softly, cupping her chin with his free hand as he continued to massage his cock with the other a mere few inches away. <br/>“Please Touga..” She moaned.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Very Well.” He clipped. “Open.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She did as was asked, and the he cradled her head with his newly freed hand. The second he plunged his cock into her waiting mouth, Sesshoumaru had grabbed her hips tightly and rammed himself inside of her, pressing his sire’s length farther down her throat as she screamed in surprise. Sesshoumaru’s swearing behind her and Touga’s above her made her want to laugh at how clearly unprepared they would be for her, but they managed to get the bearings quickly and moved in synchrony. Sesshoumaru’s forward thrust would send her over Touga’s length, and his pull back would drag her away from Touga. The two demons managed to keep her in this loop, hovering on the edge of bliss and throwing her completely off the edge for a good long bit of time. When Touga would come too close, he would pull away, allowing Sesshoumaru not to measure every thrust as carefully. When she came close, Sesshoumaru could tell and would pull back, nearly out as she sucked Touga to the edge. <br/>Before long, both of them had paused in the ministrations and Touga dropped to his knees before her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are wet enough. You should slide in easily.” Touga said quietly. Kagome’s heart fluttered as they held this whole conversation without her noticing. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Allow us to ease the transition by giving her pleasure.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru kissed her shoulder before coaxing her up on her knees. She gasped when he lifted her to settle over Touga’s lap, gently sinking her down on the General’s stiff, wet member. Kagome sighed, leaning back into Sesshoumaru’s chest as Touga’s cock stretched her in new, tantalizing ways. The first thrust had her seeing stars as Sesshoumaru’s mouth met hers, kissing her senseless. Touga’s hands now supported her weight, and Sessoumaru released her mouth and she pressed her breasts to Touga’s chest as Sesshoumaru’s cock bumped her backside. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Sesshoumaru.. I need you..” She groaned. She felt the length press into her, and the fullness of it left her speechless. Her hands buried into Touga’s hair as her mouth fell open with Sesshoumaru seated fully inside of her. Touga met her lips with a gentle nip, and she felt Sesshoumaru’s hands come around to cup her breasts as he bit down on her shoulder, pulling back to thrust forward gently matched by a careful roll of her nipples. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">The overwhelming sensations pouring through her as one set of hips would retreat and another would take its place in an insistent press. She let one of her arms roll back, playing in Sesshoumaru’s hair as he breathed harshly against her shoulder and the other had her nails digging into Touga’s shoulder as their hips pumped into her. They were leaving her breathless, heart racing to keep up with the sensational bursts of pleasure pulsing through her. Her body tightened around both of them, and she cried out trying to press them into her as the first orgasm rolled through her. They slowed.... But they didn’t stop and she was boneless between them as Touga leaned down and gave one of her nipples a harsh flick before sucking the pebble into his mouth. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I need you... I need you both...” She whispered. “I’m not whole without either of you.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“We are here.” Touga breathed over her chest. “Until you ask us not to be.”<br/>“Never.” She moaned as another roll of their hips drove her spiraling into another blast of pleasure. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I need you.” Sesshoumaru whispered in her ear. “I will always need you.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">His claws bit into her hips and it was his motions that had them both moving against her in frenzied synchrony. Kagome’s body had already tightened and she was shaking, crying out again as another orgasm washed over her. Sesshoumaru panted and moaned as her body squeezed them mercilessly, and Touga was close to follow. Small, reassuring touches and kisses all over made her heart melt, and when they pulled out of her, Sesshoumaru ran warm water in the bath while Touga cradled her in the afterglow.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">After a few minutes he stood and helped her into the bath, pressing a kiss into her forehead.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I must go, sweet one. We have been away from the office for suspiciously too long. If I am to go back, I would rather go back looking miserable.” They exchanged one last heated kiss before he began cleaning himself and dressing. Touga left and Sesshoumaru managed to squeeze in behind her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“You are deeply desired, hopelessly loved.” Sesshoumaru rumbled behind her. She stilled in his lap, glancing over her shoulder. She’d schooled her expression carefully, but took another deep breath and let him hold her while they lay there in warm water. There would be time to revisit the insecurities his proclamations kept stirring up. Even Kagome was guilty of uttering things she didn’t mean in the heat of passion, but this wasn’t something he’d never said before. It was as close to the three words she always hoped he would utter as she tended to get, but to hear the L word said in her presence, wrapped in his arms, and directed at her. Kagome swallowed. She wouldn’t cry. They still had a long way to go, and she was ready to take those steps. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Sesshoumaru didn’t need her scent to know every word out of his mouth was met with apprehensive disbelief. And he didn’t blame her for calling him into question. The words out of his mouth in the last twenty four hours felt foreign, in a good way, but still alien. It was pleasant to realize change was possible within himself still, even if it required his father as a buffer. Her trust with herself was in Touga, but her love resided with himself. It had taken him these last three couplings, the careful watch of her to realize this. Whenever there was a shadow of any kind of doubt, she reached for Touga. When her emotion overtook her, unless Touga spoke, it was directed to him, and the soul he didn’t believe he had flourished in a spike of love she flooded him with. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">She shifted over him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Say it.” She requested softly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">He knew what she was asking for and his stomach twisted nervously. It had been many years, hundreds, since he had to acknowledge a human emotion so foreign as anxiety, but here it was. The words she’d never forced from him as an unruly whelp taking what he wanted and falling deeper into this rabbit hole. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“I love you, Kagome.” He husked in her ear. Gods willing, it would never change. Gods willing, they would be merciful for his slights, and let him keep this one. Holding her like a flower about to blow away, he let his eyes slide shut and peace overtake both of them. There was still much work to be done, trust to build and genuine affections to stoke. But he was ready to do the work.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">Touga boarded the small private jet headed back for the Kyoto office and sneezed. Somewhere, someone was either thinking about him, or talking about him. He grinned to himself and ducked onto the plane, prepared to help his offspring however he was able. Love was not something the boy grew into naturally, but he could see where one could be recklessly driven to love her. He freely admitted only to himself that she was one of the best parts of his day now. His phone buzzed in his pocket.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Yes, Ansatsu?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">“Get your cock out of whatever pussy you’ve been stuck in and get your ass back to this office before it falls apart you moron.” She snapped before the line went dead. Touga gave a belly laugh. It seemed like Kagome would have competition. He never could say no to a little abuse every now and again - Ruishi was the perfect example of that being true. After the report went out to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, they had been hustling to push her towards the other failed shrine keeping positions. Chances were high that Kagome would never again come back to her position as a PA for him. It left a sour taste in the back of his mouth, but he understood the reasoning behind it. If it meant there would be a dent made in the relations between humans and demons for smoother integration, then so be it. Touga was willing to sacrifice his pleasure on the alter of world peace. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm5">According to Sesshoumaru, the jewel was still at large in the human’s real, and had not been destroyed in the feudal era. It meant there was still much more work to be done. He sat as the plane prepared for take off. So much untapped potential, he sighed as he sat back in the chair. Perhaps it was time to go on another tour of the world while the younger ones sorted this mess out.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My reviews have been the fuel for this series. Thank you, bash1018, Milomai19, cristine44, mim, Reya_30, and BlackLacedCherry!<br/>I have a special bonus chapter that will be posted with some fun tidbits about the series following this, if only because I love my readers so much and I know  you'll have fun with this oneshot. <br/>Thank you for reading, and may we meet again in another fiction!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Bonus Chapter: Blue Walls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hello darling readers!<br/>Our bonus chapter was actually the original beginnings of the Silver Linings - Only instead of it being a Sesshoumaru/Kagome Pairing, it was Touga and an OC I had created. It started as a oneshot called Blue Walls, and I had debated posting it as a full series, but once we got past the main tension, I felt like it was finished. Be aware, as with this series its filled with all kinds of fun sexual tension!<br/>SO. Here is the inspiration for The Silver Linings, a full One-shot called Blue Walls!<br/>Enjoy!<br/>ECCougar</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">Blue Walls </span>
</p><p class="Normal tm5">
  <span class="tm6">An OC Tale</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Ansatsu was sitting in her doctor’s office when she heard the phrase uttered the first time. Her gynecologist, Dr. Jeffries was laughing at her. She was pretty sure of it. Blessedly, she had a fairly solid sense of self, as well as a sense of humor that allowed her to be okay with him laughing at her. Because clearly: He was laughing at her. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm6">“Its hard to believe you’ve never heard of this problem.” the German giggled at her, leaning against the counter in the small exam room. Here she was, having wasted her sick day for Taisho Corp (they didn’t just give those days out for fucking </span> <em> <span class="tm7">free</span> </em> <span class="tm6">!) only for this asshole to tell her what was wrong was a fairly common occurrence in women at any sexually active age. </span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Doc... Please tell me I didn’t waste a sick day for you to tell me I just need to get laid. Because I don’t have the money to waste on stupid shit like this.” Ann was trying not to whine. She really was. But this was not something she needed a doctor to tell her - because anyone that felt any kind of kinship with her said the same thing.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm7">‘Ann, you need a good fuck to get your head right.’</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm7">‘Just go nutty; clearly you need to get laid.’</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em> <span class="tm7">‘Seriously? Just go get fucked by someone who knows how to work his disco stick. You’ll feel better.’</span> </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <em>  </em>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Ansatsu rubbed her dark brown eyes with her thumb and forefinger before pinching the bridge of her nose. She’d been having an issue since starting the secretary position with Taisho Corp. It started with a dull ache that developed after a while, and at first she’d had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with her sex drive and it’s sudden flare since beginning work with Toga Taisho; the company’s original patriarch. The ache developed after bouts of resisting sex of any kind, including any kind of masturbation. But she had figured because of how incredibly painful her lower abdomen got, something else had to be wrong, and it was arousal triggering the problem that could be something long the lines of ovarian cysts or something. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Now, the company doctor was telling her it was a condition he had come to know as Blue Walls. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Believe it or not, it is the feminine version of blue balls. It has the same concept. Essentially, when you are extremely aroused, blood is rushing down to your sexual organs, including your vagina.” He started to explain. Ann’s expression slid into a flat line as she watched the doctor talk with his hands and arms. “So the problematic part is when you don’t do anything about all the blood that has since rushed there. An orgasm will usually dispel the blood and push it through your body, mostly because of the physical exertion that comes with sex is pumping blood back to where it belongs.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She blinked at him, irritation building with the explanations.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Now when you don’t do anything about that, the blood just lingers there and because of how much slower the blood disperses without anything to help it along, it causes a painful and dull ache, sometimes lasting up to an hour or two after the initial set of arousal.”<br/>Now that the doctor was done explaining he folded his arms over his chest with a smug smirk.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“You realize this goes in the official report that goes on your boss’s desk right? I mean, it’ll go to HR, but they get to report the reason you came here..”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Abel, you can be a real jerk some days. But good to know I guess.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Dare I ask..” He paused with a chuckle, shaking his head. “Who is causing such a problem?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Her glare silenced his question and told him he’d be guessing for an answer. Truthfully, she was pretty sure he already knew who it was, but wanted to be a snoop.<br/>“Do what you have to. Is there any pill that can remedy the after effects?”<br/>Dr. Jeffries shrugged nonchalantly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Take a few ibuprofen or have something heavily caffienated to help with the blood flow is the best you can really do. Perhaps even a warm bath or a cool compress on your abdomen could help. The best you can get is a bout of healthy and safely practiced sex. I would suggest you find a partner or possibly a Bob to help you with the real issue. Usually, a sexually satisfied woman does not have such an issue. It never hurts to explore safely.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Ansatsu’s eyes squeezed shut, but she gave him her best flight-attendant inspired smile before tilting her head to one side and sarcastically thanking him for his advice.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She dressed quickly and called her sub for the day.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Sayano, please tell me I can still make it back to the office in time or this not to be considered a sick day. Toga isn’t in is he?”<br/>“He hasn’t, but I know his car pulled around. Unless you can get her within the next two minutes, you’re out a sick day.” She said dryly. Ansatsu stood quietly outside the company clinic and decided she may as well use the time fruitfully. She knew of a local shop that had what she needed in the way of toys, and plenty of surplus finds to buy a battery operated boyfriend. Most of what she’d had was lost when she moved after accepting the job here. One of the trucks insisted that the boxes she’d shipped with them had been lost in transit, which were a fair bunch of books, kitchen utensils, a full bathroom setup, and her naughty toys. Hopefully, whoever had decided to steal her boxes could go and fuck themselves with it. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She stretched and headed for her car. She’d make a day of this; first to the porn shop for Bob. Then she would spend the afternoon relieving some tensions.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">The following day after the humiliating appointment, she returned to work managing Toga’s office. In between catching up from the phone calls that idiot Sayano had simply skipped or sent to voicemail and answering the plethora of emails that practically cascaded from her computer screen, she hadn’t looked up from screen for a good two hours, fingers flying over the keyboard in a flurry of quick finger strokes. An hour or so after noon, she removed her black square rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing her temples. So much for yesterday’s relief session.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  
  <span class="tm6">“My dear Ansatsu, let me rub your shoulders. You look tense.”</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Toga’s sultry baritone startled her and she nearly fumbled her glasses onto the floor. That familiar rush of energy down to her nethers made her want to groan.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Good afternoon, Mr. Taisho.” She greeted, turning in her chair to face him. Hilariously enough, he had his fingers poised for her shoulders, but it looked more like he was about to fondle breasts. Ann crossed one arm under her breasts. If he was going to torment her with that damned voice, she was going to press her womanly advantage. She placed her glasses on her desk.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“I do hope your appointment went well yesterday. Is everything all right?” He had since put his fondling fingers away, but his voice did something special as he stroked her innards with it. She discretely swallowed and blinked expressionlessly at him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“The doctor gave me a prescription and we followed it to the letter. It isn’t anything transferable, I promise. I do believe I sent you an entire proposal package to review from your older son? As I recall, Mr Sesshoumaru does not like to be kept waiting on you.” Ansatsu drawled blandly, subtly pressing her breasts higher. Toga Taisho’s adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed slowly, the smirk on his face slowly falling. He was silent for almost a full thirty seconds before his eyes finally came back up to her face with a small smile.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Of course; that’s my floor manager, always keeping me in line.” He laughed boisterously before turning and headed back for the office in the corner of his room. She heard the door slam, rattling the windows of the tenth floor office. Blessedly, the room was soundproof, but she suspected there would be a mess to clean up when she went to drop off the evening papers he would need to sign off on. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Teasing him made her supremely happy, and now that she knew this frustrated ache was HIS fault, she intended to make him as miserable as she. The No Dating and underscore rule of No Fucking your Coworkers was made abundantly, if not frighteningly clear by Sesshoumaru when she had taken this position. In her original interview last year, he had been quick to warn her what a ladies man his father tended to be. Ansatsu had smoothed her pencil skirt, adjusted her glasses, and assured the frigid man before her that she had better things to do with her time. There was money to be made, and if she would be playing babysitter to his father, whom was simply a figure head in the company and kept at Sesshoumaru’s leisure, then money she would make. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Sesshoumaru, while his features as placid and cold as her own, seemed pleased with her statement. She had been faithful to her promises for a full year; she could even go so far as to say she had probably made him as miserable as she currently was in her first week of working. The man had a penchant for knee length, tight pencil skirts and her bust, while not sizeable, was nothing to sneer at. Ann knew what she did when she wore them, so she had gone up to the fiftieth floor office, directly to his son and... Arranged... A raise so she may accommodate his misery. Sesshoumaru was extremely pleased with her demand and even went so far as to make others while she was present. Today, she had chosen a tight gray skirt with a cream silk camisole tucked in and a matching gray and yellow floral print blazer. Cream colored peep-toed shoes with white stalkings for her feet made the outfit. Her hair was up in a tight bun, held in place by a single hair comb, one large piece of her hair framing the right side of her face.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">This job did make her a little cushier than she had been before. She had gained weight sitting at a desk, but not too unpleasantly so. If anything, she’d noticed in the shower her hips had a healthy grab to them now. Ansatsu turned back to her work, closing out a few tabs before rising for lunch. She fitted her platform peep-toe heels back on (she would switch from professional to comfortable shoes while she sat at her desk), donning her glasses and made her way to Hide, who sat diligently at the front of the office where visitors would be stopped and asked to wait in the tiny waiting room that was mostly walled off before you came to two smaller offices, one which was hers and the other which belonged to Minato. The farthest office back was about ten feet away from the end of their offices, and it was Toga’s. Where the front was small and uncomfortable, the rest of the floor stretched roomily and gave both her and Minato plenty of additional room to add and detract things. She had turned the middle of the office space into a small zen garden that surrounded a tiny fountain where it was stocked with very basic koi fish. She was also one of three employees for this floor - it was her as the floor manager (a glorified secretary position) and two young men who served as her underlings, Hide and Minato. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Hide, you’ll need to make copies of the email I sent and format this into a presentation for Mr. Taisho to bring up to his son’s floor. There will be a meeting tomorrow he is to attend and we need to ensure our figure head is prepared. Did you take a good lunch yet?” Hide blushed up at her and nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Yes ma’am.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She smiled softly at him.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Good. I will be taking mine and checking on our darling employer before I go. I do believe he’s in a foul mood though, I would keep out of his path of terror. Perhaps have coffee on standby?” She suggested. He nodded and gave her a small bow.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Thank you Miss Abe. Can I trouble you for a can of sweet coffee on your return?” He asked. She pursed her lips playfully before nodding.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Of course. I’ll be back in roughly half an hour.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She strode across the threshold of their offices and came to Toga’s, knocking before she swiped her key card and entering, paying no mind to her surroundings.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Lord commander supreme, I’m about to head out for lunch - can I grab you -"</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Shut the door!” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Ansatsu did exactly as was demanded but this caused her head to jerk up. Her employer was gritting his teeth, growling at her through fangs as he sat at his massive office chair, legs spread and planted on the pale marble floor beneath him. He had his pants unzipped and was currently fisting an erection that made the earlier throb in Ansatsu’s nethers look like a lit match stick by comparison of the now roaring fire that threatened to consume her. Her swallow did nothing to sooth the sudden dryness in her throat and she couldn’t look away as a flush spread across her cheeks.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“My god, Toga.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">His name on her lips made him buck into his hand.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Christ, woman... Perhaps next time..” He panted, lust-addled eyes glowering at her, “You’ll look before you enter.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She ran her tongue slowly over the bottom of her lips, hands pinned behind her at the door.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Perhaps you’ll not play with yourself during office hours and save it for home like most people do.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">His glare never softened and his hand pumped over his purpling shaft slowly.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“When I have an office tease, I generally don’t get much done while she’s here.” He sniped.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">There wasn’t much hiding her arousal; she knew demons, especially dog demons from the old realms could smell damn near anything. She moved her hand to the door and was attempting to back out the way she had come when he growled and stopped her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Stand there and part your legs.” He commanded softly. She scowled at him. He moaned and his fist quickened over his cock. “Even better. I am a terribly bad dog after all.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">This man... Her heart was racing and she was pretty sure the silk of her panties was completely ruined by his sultry voice. She took a cleansing breath and bid her heart rate to slow, smoothing her hands down her skirt and adjusting her blazer.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“While you stay here playing with your cock, I’m off to lunch. Can I bring you anything?” She finally said coolly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“You don’t want to play?” He queried, brow raised as he straightened. At his full height, the Inu-no Taisho was massive, easily nearing seven feet. Him seated with his back straight still made him very nearly taller than her small five foot three frame. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“I’m going to assume you don’t want anything. Enjoy cleaning the cum off of your desk; Don’t leave shit like that for the cleaning ladies, it's rude.” Her voice came off far chillier than she felt. She slipped back out of the office before Taisho could stop her and decided her lunch would be best spent seeking out Sesshoumaru for a little pow-wow. She entered Minato’s office so briskly she startled him enough that the soup he’d been supping on for lunch spilled into his lap.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm6">“Ring Sesshoumaru’s office and let them know I’m on my way. I have business to attend regarding his disgusting father. And if you change a fraction of what I just said when you call their office, I will have you fired.” She drawled, turning on the point of her toe and marched back to the front of the office for the elevator.</span> </p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Her loins ached painfully as she stood in the elevator, heading for the top floor of the building she worked in. Sesshoumaru was rarely not in. She had noticed that pretty little black haired secretary tended to keep him busy. Despite his warning to others not to fuck their coworkers, he was stunningly bad at keeping to his own rules... She would know. When the elevator slid open, young Kagome saw her coming and her already pale skin went whiter. Higurashi had dealt with Ansatsu before, and from what her true boss said, the young woman found her intimidating. While she had attempted to school her expression into one of nonchalance, the fear in Higurashi’s eyes told her she’d failed spectacularly at hiding her irritation. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Every step in her heels and skirt made the maddening slickness in her nethers worse. She was pretty sure her juices had begun to coat her thighs at this point.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Please wait for just a second, we just got off the phone with Minato and I was arranging-” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She truly felt for the poor girl, but before she could even come close to finishing her sentence, Ansatsu was swiping her card to the main office.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Upon entering, she saw Sesshoumaru’s back, hands clasped behind his back. His hair long silver hair was tucked behind one ear and she could see the ear piece as he scowled to whoever it was on the phone.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“We have not the desire or the time to haggle with you. Review the proposal and either say yes or no - this offer does not change.” One hand grabbed the ear piece out of his ear and crushed it in his palm. His torso twisted to one side, his nose twitching at her scent as he scattered the leftover pieces of his phone ear piece on the floor beside his desk. Damn those Taisho men with the beautiful golden eyes. He narrowed his pupils at her, looking over her slowly, almost suggestively.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Mr. Taisho, I have a prescription that needs to be filled per Dr. Jeffries. I would suggest you let us take that out on your father before he sprays both of us with his cum. Clearly, we are both suffering some sort of blues.” Ann crossed her arms over her blazer, not minding for two seconds that the little Higurashi girl had entered behind her and heard everything she’d said. Sesshoumaru’s lip twitched at her and he nodded his secretary away as he turned to face her.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“We are assuming our father made advances...” She saw his nose twitch and his eyes darken as his father’s did when she was standing in his office. “We do not smell his seed on your person.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“He nearly broke the windows out of our office. Clearly he is repressed. He is seeing someone, yes?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Sesshoumaru raised his brow. “As though we would know something so trifling.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Ansatsu’s eyes slid shut and her lips pursed before she cleared her mind and opened her eyes slowly, advancing one slow drag of her shoes at a time toward him until she was standing before him, her fingers playing with the collar of the disheveled designer button up he’d rolled the sleeves up on. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Dear boss..” She started slowly, icily, her eyes looking up threateningly. “I haven’t had sex since we made our little agreement to torment your father with the clothes you insisted I wear. I do believe that conversation took place a year ago.” She growled at him huskily. “I have a problem our doctor is insisting I use toys to solve that have been brought on by BOTH of you Taisho boys.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Her beautifully black manicured nails cut into the delicate silk thread of the button that was still closing his shirt midway down. It clattered onto his desktop.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“How may we be of assistance?” Sesshoumaru murmured, unmoving. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“What I need is for you to make a special exception for your father’s problem as well as mine.” She said softly, trailing the tip of one of her clawed fingernails over the smooth marble of his chest. What she enjoyed about the head of the corporation, was his immovable nature. She could tease him and he wouldn’t show an ounce of emotion until the bottle exploded. He sighed and ran a clawed hand through his hair, eyes sliding shut in thought. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“It will make everyone happier in the office and cost you less in repairs if both of us are relaxed. And you know how much you enjoyed last time.” She uttered. “You haven’t seen me running around begging for favors. It's beneath me; just as you are.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">That made his eyes flash open, glaring at her. She smirked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy it. Half the time you were calling the shots. In any case, your father is indeed driving me out of my mind, and it's becoming.. Unhealthy to say the least.” She groused. “I wish I were joking. Read the medical file - I can’t believe I wasted a day at the doctor over this.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">He frowned.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Doctor? Are you ill?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Ansatsu turned from him to swagger back to the door. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Apparently I have a condition akin to blue balls called blue walls. It happens when you are aroused and don’t do anything about it. Not that you would know. Despite a merger you seem unusually relaxed... The Higurashi girl?” Ansatsu’s brow raised and she grinned at him over her glasses. He said nothing and moved not a hair. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“I see. So what about it then, Sesshoumaru-sama?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Fine. If it interferes with your work, we will transfer you to the American office to manage.” He gave her a pointed glare. “From what we hear, despite it being our property, the office is one of the hardest and obnoxious to manage.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She chuckled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Very good, Sesshoumaru-sama. Hopefully this is the last you’ll see of us in your office.” She felt his presence before she saw it. Both of his hands caged her in, keeping the door shut. His breath fanned over the back of her neck and a small lick at the edge of her hairline fanned that fire hotter.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“I’m already needing to replace my current garter set thanks to your father, boss. You should show some attention to that pretty little cherry sitting outside.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">He planted a small kiss on the back of her neck, and she felt him smile. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Enjoy. Let us know if we can assist you any further in your endeavors in the future. A good employer always sees to the needs of his employees.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">He opened the door and escorted her back to the elevator.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Higurashi - set an appointment for us to visit the tenth floor in two days. We will be needing to do a review of the floor’s managerial skills soon.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She heard him say as the elevator doors closed. It made her smile to herself.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">~*~</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She entered the tenth floor front room and found Hide picking up pieces of glass and other potted plants.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm6">“What in the </span> <em> <span class="tm7">fuck</span> </em> <span class="tm6"> happened here..?” She hissed in frustration. Hide grimaced.</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“So about two minutes after you left, Mr. Taisho Sr. decided he was going to trash his office, and upon making the mistake of asking what was wrong, he trashed this room and left.” He huffed. “I don’t know how this is your fault, Ansatsu; but I’m pretty sure this is your fault.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Ann shrugged, removing her blazer. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Did he mention when he’d be back?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“No, ma’am.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Very good. Call up the maid services, have them clean this mess up. You get to go shopping for new pieces today with a budget of five thousand and then you go straight home, Hide.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">He nodded, sighing in relief. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Ansatsu made her way to Minato’s office.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“You have the rest of the day. If you don’t want to get behind I suggest taking your laptop with you. E mail me any questions.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Minato had taken refuge behind his desk and had stayed there when Taisho had thrown his fit. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Before you leave, call Taisho back to the office on urgent business. He needs to be here by six p.m.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Minato nodded again, gathering up what he could and making the call from his phone. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">The large canvas bag that had accompanied her shopping still had one more toy she had decided to keep around for late hours at the office. She hoisted the bag over her shoulder and neatly hung her blazer on Mr. Taisho Sr.’s door knob. His office was absolutely trashed. Every piece of tech had been flung to the floor, completely destroyed. There was white sand thrashed around the room from another broken potted plant. She came around the skewed marble white desk, finding deep gauges in it. Her study revealed instead of finishing himself, he’d trashed their office and run amuck.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She tapped her ear piece and requested Hide. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Up that. Before you leave, Taisho needs a new set of computers and a couple more vases. No more sand in his office, and only fake flowers.” She said when he answered. She tapped the piece to hang up, then started a new call to Hide. “Did you make the call?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Yes ma’am. He’ll be in by six thirty ma’am.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Quit calling me ma’am, Minato. Miss Abe is appropriate or Ann is fine when we are in the office and nobody is in.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Yes Miss Abe!”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">A soft knock on the door was the maid.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Oh dear. We’ll have this cleaned up in no time. What should we do with the ruined computers, Miss Abe?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Send them down to IT so they can pull any sensitive information and make sure its completely destroyed before disposing of it. Please be finished with this travesty by four.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">The maid came around the desk and nodded.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Miss Abe, this is typical. An hour tops.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“You ladies are the real heros here at Taisho Corp. You spoil me. I’ll see to it Sesshoumaru pays a little extra this month for having to play mama to a tantrum throwing daddy.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">The woman laughed and thanked her. She waited in her office for the cleaners to finish and leave before moving back into Taisho’s office. The maid was kind enough to leave her blazer on Taisho’s doorknob. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She called for takeout and waited for Taisho Toga to show up.</span>
  
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">~*~</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Toga Taisho was a man of principle. With exceptions. While he did have a certain amount of dedication to the company he had passed down to his eldest son, the rules the little shit had decided to enforce since he had stepped down as the CEO of Taisho Corp were unreasonable. It was part of his current blue balling. That, and he was no longer allowed to choose his floor managers. Apparently, sleeping with them despite being one of the more powerful shareholders was still frowned upon by his son. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">And his eldest, Sesshoumaru, had a sadist sense of humor - the woman Sesshoumaru chosen to be the floor manager was every bit his type as someone he would have chosen. The problem was how cold she was. A year of advances, passes, and general flirtation had been turned down flat. For god's sake, she’d literally caught him masturbating and refused to join him. Toga knew for a fact he was attractive. Just because Abe-kun had turned him down every time didn’t mean he couldn’t smell her the fantastical scent of her arousal. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">In fact, if not for the fact she purchased underwear to discourage scent being dispersed into the air based on the fact he was an inu demon, he would have guessed she was dripping with juices. The rushed and panicked phone call from Hide earlier after he had left the office told him Sesshoumaru would most likely be wanting to talk to him about the mess he’d left for the maids. Based on the time frame he’d been given, that was certainly the case. Abe-kun must have reported his behavior and now he’d be fighting with his son. He huffed as he entered the building at six fifteen sharp. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. Anything to distract him from the painful ache between his abdomen and taint. Even thinking about it sent a painful jolt down below. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">He could have gone on and relieved himself in anyone else; but he had been hoping over the span of the last year or so he’d be successful in his conquest of Ansatsu Abe. So far, all it had elicited was frustrated masturbatory experiences and failed one night stands. At this point, he had such a hard block he was sure he’d have to wait for the woman to die before he was allowed to move forward finding another woman to take his frustrations out on. Seventy or so years was a blink to a daiyoukai.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">The elevator pinged his ascent was over and he stepped out of into the front room. Hide had gone home, but the mess up front had since been cleaned. Toga’s eyes narrowed as his ears picked up a faint buzzing sound. Then the scent hit him; it was Ansatsu’s sweetness. He tilted his head and felt his stripes elongate as his mouth watered. He didn’t pay much attention to anything else as his cock throbbed in his pants. The handle to his office had a familiar blazer on it, and Toga stared for a long moment before he opened the door, letting it flop to the floor. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Sitting on the now cleared and cleaned desk was his floor manager. She wore her cream colored camisole tucked into that lovely pencil skirt. It did everything for her soft, lush curves. Toga had never been one to like skinny women - the plusher they were without rolls the better. He liked a good fit woman that had the self respect to appreciate how sexy some extra cushion was. The buzzing sound was louder here, and clearly, Ann was enjoying herself as she leaned back on his with one hand. Her hair was still up in that tight bun she schooled it into, but the panting and sweat coming off her as well as that tantalizing arousal told him she had a toy on the other side of that desk.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Fifteen minutes early..” She huffed. “How appropriate. I was just about to cum.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">He groaned audibly. The woman was a succubus, sent to torture him and leave him wanting. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Her head fell back even farther as she moaned long and low. Toga growled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“What is this, Ann?” He rasped. “I should leave you wanting on that desk.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">The buzzing stopped, and something clattered to the floor. He could hear her noises of frustration.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Come and sit down. We have matters to discuss, you pervert.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Toga snorted.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Why should I do anything you say?” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She spun on her backside on the desk, one heel coming to rest on the edge of the desk. Her finger dipped under the band at the heel of her shoes.</span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm6">“Because, Taisho-</span><em><span class="tm7">sama</span> </em> <span class="tm6">...” she drawled, her eyes dark and lust-livened. One heel clattered to the floor and she brought her other foot up.</span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“I have rules before you help administer the prescription from my appointment earlier today. Apparently I have the same condition you do...” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Her other shoe fell to the floor. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“The only difference is your balls and my walls. Now get on your knees so I can go over the finer points to avoid being fired by your tight-ass son.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Toga smirked at her, but acquiesced for now, kneeling right in front of her in a pair of five-hundred dollar pants with his knees spread to alleviate the throbbing in his cock. A loud rip sounded, making Toga Taisho blink in shock. Ansatsu, in all of her frustration, had ripped the sides of her pencil skirt to better accommodate her thighs. Upon closer inspection, they were thicker and softer than he originally assumed. Perfect. On the floor beneath the desk was a dampened bullet she had been using inside of her earlier. Something as simple as a bullet had her close to cumming. Toga’s smirk became malicious. This would be easy.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Don’t go off thinking this is something we get to do all the time, let alone something you can help yourself to. If not for my current condition, I wouldn’t have gotten the special permission to do this at all.” Her foot had planted right on his face. It was covered in a delicate lace that stretched up between her thighs. Now that the skirt was ripped, he could see up it, and that the lace was indeed a stalking connected to a garter belt beneath her skirt. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Fuck..” He mumbled under his breath.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“That being said, I think we could come to an amicable arrangement. So long as communication isn’t indecipherable, I believe we could come to supremely enjoy ourselves.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">There was one thing that wasn’t her daintily laced foot on his face that gave him pause. He grasped the foot by her ankle and rose slowly between her legs, planting a clawed hand on the desk by her thigh. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“By chance, how did you come upon this... Special permission? And since when do I need special permission to fuck whoever I want?” Toga’s voice was low with barely concealed anger. He could tell despite the threat in his tone, she was growing wetter beneath him. His hand on the desk roughly passed over her thigh, working the fabric up until his hand was skimming the wetness of her panties with the pad of his clawed fingers. He could hear her swear on an inhale of breath.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“I-I went to your son, the CEO.” She ground through her teeth as his thumb passed over her labia. Toga pulled back a touch, releasing her ankle which she promptly planted on the desk. This left her body open and the scent of her need flooded his office.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“I see...” He could feel his face sliding into a scowl. All he wanted to do was bury his aching cock into the clear slickness of her warmth.. H</span>
  <span class="tm6">owever, letting her think this was going to be something she would be calling the shots on was a mistake he refused to make. His claw hooked the seem of the crotch on her silken panties, tearing the flimsy material like butter before he rammed two long fingers into the heat of her warmth. She gasped and swore, legs now shaking on the desk.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“And how did you come to this little permission? Did you fuck him for it?” He growled into her ear. “I’m assuming this little setup was all your doing.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“I didn’t....” She gasped, voice higher than it was on a day to day. “Not today.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Toga chuckled darkly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Then you have had our son inside you, is that correct?” He rumbled, fingers scissoring slowly as he pulled his fingers out slowly before ramming them home again, adding his thumb to rub her clit slowly beneath the hood of her labia. She let out a guttural moan as she nodded, tilting back on the desk on both of her arms.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Let me inform you of something. I may not be the CEO anymore, but mark my words, we carry weight here.” His fingers began picking up their pace, playing the inside of her like an instrument. The way his fingers moved found her most sensitive spots quickly and committed them to memory. She was a quivering mess on the desk in front of him, her former dominatrix persona forgotten as her juices puddled on the white marble of the desk. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Just because he won’t fire you, doesn’t mean I can’t do something to make your life miserable. And if I can’t remove you from that spot myself, I will make sure this is where you stay until you die, unfulfilled and wanting. No other job will ever take you. I will ruin you if you ever come to me like this, thinking you are going to outmaneuver me.” His voice was raspy. His fingers stopped playing inside of her at the first sign of her tightening in climax. She panted hard, eyes brimming with need filled tears.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Do we understand one another?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">The force of his need was almost overwhelming, but checking it was starting to feel as good as straight up fucking this woman. His claws played with the lips of her labia.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Answer me.” He commanded. She flinched at his tone and the clip of his claw.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Y-yes.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">His finger dipped a little more into her and she groaned for him. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Now.. You’ve been awfully rude, Abe-kun. I think you owe me something of an apology. If I feel you’re sincere enough, I’ll let you ride my hand to completion.” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Mr. Taisho I’m so -”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“I don’t think so, little one. I was, and still am, a Daiyoukai. Lord is the proper term.” He corrected her with a tut. “Try again.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">His finger flicked her clit once before pausing, waiting for her apology. She sucked in a breath.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Ooooh, Lord Touga please forgive me.” She choked.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“For?” he drawled.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“For thinking I could use you as a pawn or a sexual favor.” She moaned. “Never again. Please forgive me..” </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">He flicked her clitoris again. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“And?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">She was coming down from her initial high, and her face was beginning to form a frown.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“And what?” She snipped. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">His thumb and forefinger pinched the agitated bundle of nerves mercilessly, making her scream. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“And that you’ll be a good little pawn and sexual favor for me.” He teased. “Say it for me, sweet Abe.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Her mouth was still open, and her eyes were so clouded with desire he was sure if not for the fact he was indeed a powerful daiyoukai, she’d fall upon him with merciless lust and take her pleasure whether he liked it or not. Perfect. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm6">“And I’ll be a good little pawn blah blah blah.” She huffed. “Lord Taisho, I need you inside me </span> <em> <span class="tm7">now.</span> </em> <span class="tm6">” </span></p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Give me a kiss.” He growled, smirking. She leaned forward, hooking one arm around his neck and pulling his hair closer to her so she could give him a passionate kiss. When she pulled away, her eyes were brimming again. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Please, Toga. I can’t do this anymore, I need it.” She pleaded. Her sudden sweetness poured over him like warm honey. He met her lips again in an angry clash of lips and tongue, pressing into her groin with his own. Toga was done teasing both of them. With a ruthless roar, her skirt was torn all the way down the side, the cami she was wearing was pushed up over her breasts which she had let go free of any bindings. A red scratch appeared on her thigh where he’d cut the skirt away. He pulled her thighs to the edge of his desk and encouraged her to lean back again as he unbelted and unzipped his pants, freeing his cock and guiding it to the wetness he inspired. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Yes... Pleeeaaaase Toga!” She begged. Her breath was utterly stolen when he thrust home. The only thing she could do was wrap her legs around his waist, heels digging into his buttocks as keeping him from moving much.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">Her cunt was so hot he felt he was turning to liquid. She fluttered around his stiffness, and her sudden animalistic growl made him realize one thrust had made her cum on his cock. He smirked. Moving his hips barely an inch, he jackhammered into her sensitive pussy, the growl she was making suddenly turning into a high pitched scream of release followed by swearing that would make even his foul mouthed son, Inuyasha, blush. Her legs shook hard enough he was no longer bound by them, and with the extra movement, he drew all the way back and began fucking her in earnest. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">The wet squelches of her sex, the fact her climaxes were rolling into one another made it apparent to him she’d been suffering the same condition he had been. The only difference was that thanks to the long years he’d been granted in his immortality, his control was masterful up to a point; this set of blue balls was no exception. He didn’t even consider cumming until she was puddled on his desk, letting him move her body in whatever way he pleased. He coated her cunt with his seed after her fourth orgasm, leaving marks on her body from his intensity he hadn’t intended. Once he was ready, he pulled from her heat, cleaning himself with a pocket square and tossing it to her when he was finished and had zipped himself back up, belting his pants. </span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Now. As you had said; I believe we could indeed find this to be a perfectly fine avenue of relieving some tensions. But don’t think for a moment your cunt will rule over me. Next time you try and pull that shit without my permission, I will move for your dismissal. Sesshoumaru will agree with me.” He murmured. She couldn’t even move, but she gave him a small wave of understanding. “Shall I wait for you to come to? We could finish this at your place or mine; I have no preference.”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">This had her head popping up.</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">“Finish up..?” Ansatsu’s voice shook. “You aren’t finished?”</span>
</p><p class="Normal">
  <span class="tm6">He chuckled, darkly. </span>
</p><p class="Normal"><span class="tm6">“Darling Ansatsu... I believe you owe me at least three more, and one extra for every one in between you get.” He tutted. He could barely hear her say it, but he could hear a long drawn out </span> <em> <span class="tm7">yes</span> </em> <span class="tm6"> moaned under her breath. His smirk only widened. This would indeed be a very beneficial partnership.</span></p><p class="Normal">
  
</p><p class="Normal"> </p>
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